File:Blind Guardian - The Forgotten Tales.jpg

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PLord:

==Summary==
{{Information
|description=The Forgotten Tales by [[Blind Guardian]] album cover.
|date=1996-04-16
|medium=
|author=[[Andreas Marschall]]
|source=https://blob.cede.ch/catalog/146574000/146574695_1_92.jpg
|license=
}}

==License==
{{Copyright-fairuse|EMI Music Germany GmbH & Co. KG.}}

Ring-verse

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#REDIRECT [[Ring-inscription]]

Rings of Power

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PLord: Big page reformatting, focused on separating walls of text into easier to look at paragraphs. Added missing links to respective main pages

{{disambig-more|Rings of Power|[[Rings of Power (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Alan Lee - The Forging of the Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Forging of the Ring'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
{{quote|In those days the smiths of [[Ost-in-Edhil]] surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. [...] Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made [[One Ring]] to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]"}}

The '''Rings of Power''' were magic rings created by the [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]]. Nineteen '''Great rings''' were made with the knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], guised as "Annatar", with him aiding in the creation of most. Sauron alone forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the One Ring or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

== Great Rings ==
A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership translates as follows:

{{blockquote|Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,<br />
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,<br />
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,<br />
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie<br />
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,<br />
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.|[[Ring-verse]]}}

The Three Rings, the Seven and the Nine were all set with their proper gem, but the One Ring was round and unadorned like the [[lesser rings]] of Power.<ref>
{{FR|Council}}, p. 251</ref>

=== The Nine ===
{{Main|Nine Rings}}
The ''Nine Rings'' were divided amongst those evil-hearted men who saw their abilities increase and became sorcerers and Kings among Men. They gained longevity but then faded away to become the [[Nazgûl]], the Ringwraiths, dominated under Sauron's will.

=== The Seven ===
{{Main|Seven Rings}}
Sauron gave some six Rings to the Dwarf-kings, although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves already gave [[Ring of Thrór|one]] to [[Durin III]]. Sauron was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit, however the rings greatly amplified the Dwarven kings' desire for dominion. They became greedy, establishing great treasure holds which eventually brought destruction to their kingdoms.

=== The Three ===
{{Main|Three Rings}}
The ''Three Rings'' of the Elves were made last, forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. However, their forging involved some of the arts taught by "Annatar". Thus they too were bound to the One Ring to some extent. They were named [[Narya]] the Ring of Fire, [[Nenya]] the Ring of Water, and [[Vilya]] the Ring of Air; they remained hidden from Sauron.

=== The One ===
{{Main|The One Ring}}
The ''One Ring'', secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of [[Mount Doom]], had the power to dominate the sixteen rings owned by Dwarves and Men. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but he placed a large amount of his own power into it at its forging, a necessity that later led to his downfall at [[Frodo Baggins]]' hands.

==History==
===Creation===

[[File:Ralph Damiani - The Forging.jpg|thumb|''The Forging'' by [[:Category:Images by Ralph Damiani|Ralph Damiani]]]]
Around {{SA|1200}}, Sauron started to corrupt the [[Elves]].<ref name="B">{{App|B1}}</ref> He did not manage to approach [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] but he had better luck with the Elven-smiths of [[Eregion]]. The [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]] were mostly [[Noldor]], and wished to have the same joys in [[Middle-earth]] as the Elves who had returned to [[Valinor]]. Sauron therefore presented himself as "[[Annatar]]", an emissary from the [[Valar]],<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> and tempted the Elves by offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth.

Annatar taught the smiths the knowledge of how to create Rings, which would grant the Elves who wore them certain powers. At first the Elves created some lesser rings, which were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown. In approximately {{SA|1500}}, the greater sixteen were created.<ref name="B" /> When Annatar departed from Eregion, [[Celebrimbor]] went on to forge the [[Three Rings]] using the knowledge he had gained from him, but without his involvement, and finished them around {{SA|1590}}.

Sauron then created the [[One Ring]] around {{SA|1600|n}}, alone, in the heart of [[Mount Doom]]. Its purpose was to rule over all the other rings, and Sauron put a great part of his power into it. The Elves, upon the creation of the One Ring, heard Sauron speak the spell, and realized they had been betrayed.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

===Advent of Sauron===
As soon as Sauron put on the One, the bearers of the Three became aware of him and took them off in fear and anger. They defied Sauron and refused to use the Rings. Seeing this, Sauron attempted to claim the Rings to distribute them to other peoples; he [[War of the Elves and Sauron|waged War against the Elves]], and although the Elves fought valiantly, Eregion was destroyed. Celebrimbor however managed to salvage the Three he created himself and secretly gave them to [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]], and [[Galadriel]]. They were originally given to the three greatest [[Eldar]] in [[Middle-earth]] at that time.<ref name="B" /><ref name="Rings" /> During the [[Sack of Eregion]], Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works from them; but he could not find the rest. Then [[Celebrimbor]] was put to torment, and he revealed the existence of the Seven Rings.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

Sauron then distributed them to Lords who desired secret power beyond their nature, hoping to bring them under his sway; [[Men]] who were the readiest to his will, became powerful sorcerers and Kings; and [[Dwarves]] who grew greedier and augmented their treasures. As Sauron had to do with their making, he easily perverted and accursed the Rings, betraying those who wore them.<ref name="Rings" />

The Mannish lords who held the Nine were consumed by them and entered the [[wraith-world]], becoming the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], servants of Sauron without will. The Dwarves who held the Seven were largely (but not totally) unaffected, but the wrath and greed brought upon them brought evils that benefitted Sauron. The Three were always held by the Elves, and [[Gandalf]] upon his arrival.<ref name="Rings" />

===Final disposition===
During the [[Third Age]], four of the Seven were destroyed during the Dwarves' conflicts with [[Dragons]], and after Sauron's return he recaptured the remaining three, the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] from [[Thráin|Thráin II]]. The Nine he took back from his [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].

Nothing is known of the fate of the [[lesser rings]], made as essays to the craft, but, according to [[Gandalf]], still dangerous for mortals that might have found them.<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>

The One was lost and refound until it was destroyed in the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]]. With its destruction, the existing Rings were freed from Sauron's control, but may have lost their power altogether. They were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]], or perhaps simply faded, while the (powerless) Three were taken with their bearers to [[Aman]].

==Powers and properties==
The Rings of Power all had certain common properties. The Elves of Eregion created the rings to preserve their lands, attempting to make them as beautiful as [[Valinor]]. Thus, a primary power of the rings was to prevent and decelerate decay and change. The rings also increased a bearer's own natural powers, seemingly granting '[[magic]]' abilities.<ref name="L131">{{L|131}}</ref>
[[File:Jef Murray - In Her Father's Garden.jpg|thumb|''In her father's garden'' by [[Jef Murray]]]]

The One Ring was the Master Ring, which would have allowed whoever mastered the it to have control over the others rings (except the Three), the works done through them, and also could perceive and control the thoughts of anyone wearing them. The wearer of the One Ring was also able to understand speech in languages the they did not know, or at least the [[Black Speech]].<ref>{{TT|Choices}}</ref> However, the Ring corrupted the heart and mind, making its holder obsessed with it.

Additionally, the One Ring, along with the Seven and the Nine, had the ability to tap into the [[Unseen]] at different degrees. The One could completely shift the wearer to the Spirit World, rendering the material body invisible to mortals.<ref name="L131" /> Men who wore a Ring of Power caused the wearer to ''fade'' and turn into a permanently invisible [[Wraiths|wraith]]<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|51}} under Sauron's domination.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|47}}

The [[Dwarves]] were more resistant to most of these effects. They could hardly be dominated, it was hard to read their thoughts and they could not be turned into wraiths. They mostly suffered under an increased wrath and lust for gold and only used their Seven Rings to increase their wealth. It was said that a golden ring was the foundation on which each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old.<ref name="Rings" />

The Three did not make their wearers invisible<ref name="L131" /> (though a wearer could make the ring itself invisible<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}</ref>). A wearer of one of the Three gained the power to heal and preserve, in many different ways, whatever they controlled. Galadriel's and Elrond's Rings allowed them to fend off Sauron and protect and preserve [[Lothlórien]] and [[Rivendell]]. Meanwhile Gandalf used [[Narya]] to inspire hope and courage in others.<ref>{{App|B2}}, [[Cirdan]]'s words to [[Gandalf]]</ref>

==Other versions of the legendarium==
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring 2.jpg|thumb|The One Ring and the Three in the [[The Lord of the Rings/Original dust-jacket designs|dust-jacket]] design for ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]]]
In an early draft of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', there were many different elements related to the Rings of Power:<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 78</ref>
*Not the Elves of Eregion, but the dark master made many rings and distributed them to ensnare others. The Elves did not have three, but had many rings. There is no mentioning of the Elves discovering the intent of the Lord of the Rings and taking off their rings. Instead, it is mentioned that there were now many [[Ring-wraiths|Elf-wraiths]].
*The [[Goblins]] had some rings and their wraiths are very evil and totally under the command of the dark master.
*The elements that the Dwarves had seven rings, that they only turned them greedy and that a golden ring was the foundation of each of the seven hoards of the Dwarves were already present. However, it is not mentioned that the dwarves were hard to dominate, that their thoughts could not be read or that they could not be turned into wraiths, it is only said that their rings could not make them invisible.
*Instead of nine rings, Men had received three rings, but had found other rings in secret places that had been thrown away by Elf-wraiths. The men-wraiths were servants of the dark master and brought their rings back to him. Instead of Isildur the ring that was later found by Bilbo fell of the hand of an Elf, but the other elements that he fled from his pursuers in a war and that the ring betrayed him and fell from his hand when he swam across a river so that he became visible to Goblins that killed him are already present in this draft.
*Instead of a [[hobbit]] called [[Déagol]], a hobbit called Dígol found the ring and used its effect to turn him invisible for malicious purposes, turned to muttering to himself so that he was called ''Gollum'' and was told to go into exile by his relatives.

In an earlier draft it is mentioned that when overcome by the Ring you turn permanently invisible, everything becomes very faint for you, you can smell more clearly than you can hear or see, and you turn into a ringwraith under the command of the Lord of the Rings. It is also mentioned that you do not have the power to turn things invisible and that your clothes are visible.<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 75</ref>

==Inspiration==
The Rings were the background story as fleshed out by Tolkien, out of the Ring that appeared in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. The lore of the Rings (especially the One) is often compared to ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', although Tolkien denounced any direct inspiration.<ref>{{L|229}}, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases."</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi's ''The Lord of the Rings'']]:'''
:In the introduction of the movie, the Rings are portrayed as a purely Elven conception and creation, which the Elves generously gave to the Dwarves and Men. It was when Sauron 'learned of the Ring-making' when he forged the One Ring.
:It contrasts the canonical account according to which the Rings were always a part of Sauron's plan, and Sauron distributed them to the Dwarves and Men after the Elves turned against him.

'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:In the [[Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All...|Prologue]], narrated by [[Galadriel]], the 19 initial Rings were shown being given to the [[Elves]], [[Men]], and [[Dwarves]]. The introduction states that all of these ring-holders were deceived by Sauron, who created the One Ring to rule them all.

'''2017: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Alongside the One Ring and the Three, names are also given to the Seven and the Nine:

:*The Seven rings of the Dwarves are given as Taurya, Sindya, Tínya, Tulcya, Úrya, Vanya, and Angya (the [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Durin]]).

:*The Nine rings of Men are named Sâkhla, Adâsh, Orôm (the ring of the [[Khamûl|Lieutenant of Dol Guldur]]), Jûru, Mêbat, Khânto, Sapthân, Nitîr, and Ûri (the ring of the [[Witch-king]]).

'''2022: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]: Season One'''
:'''Episode 9: ''[[Alloyed]]'''''
:All the lore related to the forging of the Rings of Power under the guidance of [[Annatar]] is ignored. No [[lesser rings]], nor any of the sixteen Rings is made before the Three Rings. Instead of the Three being the only ones unmarred by Sauron's intervention, they are the only ones done under [[Halbrand]]'s guidance. All the [[Magic|magical craft]] done by the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain|Elven-smiths]] is reduced to the magical properties of [[mithril]] made up for the series.

==External links==
*[https://brownmath.com/general/ringfaq.htm FAQ of the Rings] by Stan Brown
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/who-were-the-rings-of-power-made-for/ Who Were the Rings of Power Made For?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{references}}
{{rings}}
[[Category:Rings and jewels]]
[[de:Ringe der Macht]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/bijoux/anneaux/anneaux de pouvoir]]
[[fi:Mahtisormukset]]

User:PLord/Rings of Power

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Doom(Nightfall in Middle-Earth)

2026-05-02T21:00:24Z

PLord: PLord moved page Doom(Nightfall in Middle-Earth) to Doom (Nightfall in Middle-Earth)

#REDIRECT [[Doom (Nightfall in Middle-Earth)]]

Doom (Nightfall in Middle-Earth)

2026-05-02T21:00:24Z

PLord: PLord moved page Doom(Nightfall in Middle-Earth) to Doom (Nightfall in Middle-Earth)

{{Song
| title = Doom
| album = [[Nightfall in Middle-Earth|Nightfall in Middle-Earth 2018 remaster]]
| image = Blind guardian nightfall cover.jpg
| composer = Hansi Kürsch, André Olbrich
| writer = Hansi Kürsch
| performer = [[Blind Guardian]]
| duration = 5:50
| track =
| previous =
| next = [[Harvest of Sorrow]]
}}

'''Doom''' first appeared as a bonus track on the 2015 [[Blind Guardian]] album ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_the_Red_Mirror Beyond the Red Mirror]''. In 2018 it appeared as the first bonus track on the remaster of Blind Guardian's [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]-themed album ''[[Nightfall in Middle-Earth]]'' with some changed lyrics.

==Lyrics==
<poem style="font-style:italic; margin-left:20px;">
How did I get here
What will I find here
The field is lost
All hope's now gone

I understand
There is no chance
The curse lives on
My children mourn

You'll be with me
For a long time
This place
You won't leave it
No more

Forever
Forever
No

I'm wondering
Who is it for
There's nothing more
I won this war
Dared Valinor

You won't enter
You're deceived
They've sealed the secret place
Out

And day won't come again
No

So there's no relief
When truth shall be revealed
By now you know the answer
So there's no relief
But deceit

Abandoned, forgotten, deceived
Wherever they may roam
So faithful, so loyal
Still no one will come
You're alone

Don't call it destiny

[Chorus]
We will remember
Skies may fade
And stars may wane
We won't forget
And your light shines bright
Yes, so much brighter
Shine on
We will remember
Until the skies will fall
We won't forget
We will remember
We all shall follow
Doom

It's going down
Going down
And there's nothing
You can do

Look into my eyes
(And see)
Your seed it may grow
This is no vision
It's the curse
You'll be deceived
I set upon your kin

Their cries shall come true
It shall be me
You blame
Now watch and see
I'll set doom
Upon you
Your offspring shall bloom
Wherever they may roam
I'll bind them
I'll split them
In solitude
Sorrow shall grow
Unknown

[Chorus]

If that's your choice
Your descendants
They wish
They have never been born
Redeem the oath
And pay the price
If you want

Here on these fields
Where truth shall be revealed
In doom you'll find the answers
Still there's no release
You shall feel

Let's face it
Since everything's shown
You've been through this alone
The deeper the wounds
So much greater the sorrows will grow
There is no sense in it

[Chorus]
</poem>
[[Category:Songs by Blind Guardian]]

Template:Song

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</noinclude>

File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Shores of Faery.png

2026-04-12T23:58:23Z

PLord: /* Summary */

==Summary==
{{Information
|description = This is the earliest illustration of Tolkien's secondary world, painted when he was a student at Oxford. It shows the city of the Elves in Valinor, framed by the Two Trees bearing the light of the sun and the moon.<ref>{{webcite|author=[[Tolkien Estate]]|articleurl=https://www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-silmarillion/|articlename=The Silmarillion|dated=April 2021|website=Tolkien|accessed=2 February 2026|archiveurl=|archivename=|archivedate=}} ("[https://jrrtestate.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/435azz0077.jpg raw file]")</ref>
Originally published in ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator]]''.
|author = [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
|source = ''The Silmarillion (illustrated by author)'', HarperCollins, 2022
|date = [[10 May]], [[1915]]
|tolkienart= 211
|license = {{Fairuse-Tolkien}}
}}

{{References}}

[[Category:Images by J.R.R. Tolkien]]

User:PLord/sandbox2

2026-03-25T21:33:58Z

PLord:

{{book
|title=The Atlas of Middle-Earth
|image = The Atlas of Middle-earth 2001.jpg
|author=[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]]
|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
|date=[[29 May]] [[1981]]<br/>[[1991]] (revised edition)<br/>[[15 June]] [[2017]] (redesigned edition)
|format=Hardcover; paperback
|pages=210
}}

'''''The Atlas of Middle-earth''''' by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] is an atlas of various lands in [[Arda]]. It includes specific maps for ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]'', for which it is intended as a reading companion.

==Contents==
The maps are treated as if they are of real landscapes, and are drawn according to the same rules that a real atlas is drawn: for each area the history of the land is taken into account, as well as geography on a larger scale and from there maps are drawn. Discussion includes suggestions as to the geology that could explain various formations, and points that are contradictory between multiple accounts.

City maps and floor plans for important buildings are also included; these are very often useful for making sense of the narratives, especially in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. As well, many battles such as [[Battles of Beleriand|those]] of [[Beleriand]], the [[Last Alliance]] and the [[War of the Ring]] are illustrated.

The book was published in [[1981]], but in [[1991]] a revised and updated version was published, which took information from ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' into account. In [[2001]], the publishers issued a reprint of the 1991 revised edition with a new cover (pictured) but identical contents.

Fonstad also made a bold attempt to fill the gaps by using early conceptual work, mainly from ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One]]'' and the ''[[Ambarkanta]]'', combining the later known maps with the sketches used by Tolkien to provide "world maps" of [[Arda]] in its entirety and show [[Aman]], [[Beleriand]]'s position relative to [[Eriador]], and the place of [[Númenor]] in the Sea.

It was, however, published before the final three volumes of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', and thus some maps are based on [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s early works, which were revised in later writings.

==Errors and criticism==
Despite being a thoroughly researched and well-respected reference book, the ''Atlas'' is known to contain several errors. However, a number of these were corrected in the revised edition, as noted below.

===Inconsistencies with earlier publications===
*Page 13: Nogrod is shown north of Belegost, and both south of Mount Dolmed. ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' states that Belegost was "to the north of the great height of Mount Dolmed" and that Nogrod was the more southerly of the two.<ref>{{S|10}}</ref>
*Pages 39 and 88: On both pages, [[Drúwaith Iaur]] is shown north of the [[Ered Nimrais]] and south of the [[Angren]], and on page 39 extending east below the [[Adorn]]. In the Unfinished Tales map, Drúwaith Iaur is in the narrow area between the ocean and the southern Ered Nimrais, south of the mouth of the [[Angren]].<ref>{{UT|Index}}, "Map"</ref>
*Page 71: [[Hardbottle]] is shown in the [[Southfarthing]] rather than the [[Northfarthing]].<ref name="Nomen">{{HM|N}}, p. 771</ref> Sackville, shown in the Southfarthing, is entirely invented (compare the [[Sackville Family]]).
*Page 89: [[Tarnost]] is shown as a city separate from [[Ethring]] though it may be a discarded name for the latter from early drafts.<ref>{{HM|AoL}}, p. 139</ref>
*Pages 92 and 93: [[Lithlad]] is shown in the south of [[Mordor]] rather than the northeast.
*Page 99: It is written that Bilbo gave the Arkenstone to the Elvenking and Bard on 22 November, then Dáin arrived in the early morning on 23 November. In ''The Hobbit'', [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] gave away the [[Arkenstone]] and then returned before midnight to wake up Bombur.<ref>{{H|Thief}}</ref> The next day, there was a new parley, it was revealed that the Elves and Men had the Arkenstone, and [[Thorin]] expelled Bilbo from the [[Lonely Mountain]]. On the ''next'' morning, Dáin arrived.<ref name="Burst">{{H|Burst}}</ref> Fonstad's timeline has Dáin arrive in one day, while the text of ''The Hobbit'' has him arrive in two days. Either Dáin must have arrived on 24 November or Bilbo must have handed over the Arkenstone late on 21 November.
*Page 106: In ''The Hobbit'', when the Dwarves saw a fire off in the woods, "The light was ahead of them and to the ''left'' of the path".<ref>{{H|Flies}}</ref> In Fonstad's map, the Dwarves left the path to the right. ''(Corrected in 2nd edition.)''
*Page 125: [[Combe]] is shown laying to the northwest of [[Staddle]] on the east side of the [[Bree-hill]], while in fact Combe should lie a little east of Staddle's location.<ref>{{FR|Sign}}</ref>

===Inconsistencies with later publications===
Both the first and second editions of the ''Atlas'' were written before the final three volumes of [[The History of Middle-earth]] were published, so at certain points it is contradicted by this later material. [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]], which was published between the first and second editions of the ''Atlas'', is not taken into account in the revision.
*Page viii: [[Middle-earth]] dominates much of the northern hemisphere of [[Arda]] [[Changing of the World|made round]], with [[Forochel]] being high in the polar regions of the world and [[Umbar]] laying more than halfway southward between the northern pole and the [[Girdle of Arda|equator]].
**In [[Letter 294]], Tolkien confirms that [[Hobbiton]] is intended to be at the latitude of [[wikipedia:Oxford|Oxford]], with [[Minas Tirith]] 600 miles south being near to the latitude of [[wikipedia:Florence|Florence]]. With this information, it is clear that Middle-earth would be hardly as large as it appears on the ''Atlas'' map of a round Arda.
*Pages 4 and 5: The [[Sea of Helcar]] is seen to cover the area of future [[Mordor]], [[Khand]], and [[Rhûn]], and the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and [[Sea of Núrnen]] are shown as its remnants.
**In ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', there are references to the Sea of Rhûn existing in the [[First Age]], as well as the forest to its northeast and the hills to its southwest, indicating that it must be separate from the Sea of Helcar.
*Pages 38 and 39: The western shores of [[Lindon]] and the [[Ethir Anduin]] are shown to exist in the [[Second Age]] of the world as they did in the [[Third Age]].
**''The Peoples of Middle-earth'' tells that during the [[Akallabêth|Downfall of Númenor]], Lindon lost much land to the advancing shores, while the eastern and southern portions of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] retreated back, putting the city of [[Pelargir]], which had been only a few miles from the coast, much farther inland.
* The [[Little Lune]] river appears on many maps but is never labeled, because its name was first published in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''.<ref>{{PM|Atani}} p.313</ref>

===Internal inconsistencies===
*Pages 12 and 53: [[Dorthonion]] and [[Himring]] are slightly above parallel J, but [[Tol Fuin]] and [[Himling]] are shown further north, above parallel I<ref>[[Didier Willis]], "On assembling maps from Beleriand to Rhûn", in ''On Cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth – Selected essays'', ed. D. Willis, Le Dragon de Brume, 2024, p.108-109</ref>. This is not just a coordinate error, as the entire geography of the atlas is affected by this mistake.
*Pages 38 and 41: [[Belegost]] has been moved 150 miles further south than previously shown to the middle of the southern [[Blue Mountains]].
*Pages 53, 76, and 80: On page 53, [[Rhosgobel]] is located near the border of [[Mirkwood]] well ''south'' of the [[Old Forest Road]], due east of [[Moria]]. On pages 76 and 80, Rhosgobel is still at the edge of the forest, but ''north'' of the Old Forest Road. One or the other location should have been used, not both.
**In ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', it is stated that in December of [[TA|TA3019]], scouts "had climbed the pass at the source of the [[Gladden River]], and had come down into [[Rhovanion|Wilderland]] and over the [[Gladden Fields]] and so at length had reached the old home of [[Radagast]] at Rhosgobel", which supports the page 53 location.<ref>{{FR|II3}}</ref>
**In ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[Christopher Tolkien]] states that Rhosgobel was "in the forest borders between the [[Carrock]] and the Old Forest Road".<ref>{{UT|Istari}}, Note 4</ref>
*Pages 89 and 210: In the map on p. 89, [[Tarnost]] is located in Q-34, but the "Index of Selected Place Names" on p. 210 places it at R-35.
*Pages 97 and 200: In the text of p. 97, Fonstad refers to the book ''[[Journeys of Frodo]]'' by Barbara Strachey, but there is no reference to this work in "Selected References" on pp. 200–201.
*Page 144: In the upper-right inset, the cleft of the brazen gate (which appears in the upper-left inset) is not depicted.
*Pages 205 and 209: The index entry "Grey Mountains" is a mix of references to the "[[Grey Mountains]]" (or Ered Mithrin, located at coordinates I-35) and the "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains (of the South)]]" (located at coordinates V/Zh-30). Additionally, the index entry "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains (of the South)]]" is incomplete. A more complete and accurate list of maps on which each set of Grey Mountains appear and are labeled is as follows (they appear unlabeled on many more):
**Northern: pp. 53, 65, 76, 80
**Southern: pp. 2, 4, 38

===Typographical errors===
*Page 2: [[Mountains of the Wind|Mts. of the Wind]] is written as "Mts. of the World".
*Page 2: [[Sea of Ringil]] is written as "Sea of Ringol".
*Page 7: [[Ezellohar]] is written as "Ezollahar". [[Ilmarin]] is written as "Ilmaren". [[Tol Eressëa|Eressëa]] is written as "Erresëa". [[Hyarmentir]] is written as "Hyamentir".
*Pages 6 and 38: [[Avallónë]] is written as "Avalónnë" and "Avalonnë", respectively.
*Pages 7 and 38: [[Alqualondë]] is written as "Aqualondë" and "Aqualóndë", respectively.
*Page 13: [[Gabilgathol]] is written as "Gabilgathod".
*Page 53: [[Caras Galadhon]] is written as "Caras Galadon".
*Page 58 : River [[Lhûn|Lune]] is written "River Lûne".
*Page 71: [[Tuckborough]] is written as "Tuckburrow".
*Page 113: [[Bolg]] is written as "Borg".<ref name="Burst"/> ''(Corrected in 2nd edition.)''
*Page 135: [[Methedras]] is written as "Mathedras".
*Page 139: "[[Fen Hollen]]" is written "Fen Hollin".
*Page 148: [[Gamling|Gamling the Old]] is written as "Gambling the Old".
*Pages 189 and 190: [[Khuzdul]], the language of the [[Dwarves]], is labeled as "[[Khazâd]]".
*Page 204, index : "[[Eryn Vorn]]" is written "Eryn Vron".
*Page 204, index : "[[Annon-In-Gelydh]]" is written "Annon-In-Gadydh", at the entry "Gate of the Noldor".
*Page 205, index : "[[Glǽmscrafu]]" is written "Glumscrafu".
*Page 205, index : "[[Haerast]]" is written "Haerest".
*Page 207, index : the pages refering to [[Ringlo]] ("12, 21") are the same than [[Ringwil]], and therefore are incorrect.
*Page 208, index : "[[Southfarthing]]" is written "Sourth Farthing".
*Page 209, index : "Eredhithui", an earlier name of the [[Misty Mountains]], is written "Ered Hithui".
*Page 210, index : "Entish Dale" is written "Entish Dle", at the entry "[[Ettenmoors|Hoardale]]".
*Page 210, index : "[[Murmuran]]", the house of Lórien in Valinor, is written "Mumuran".
*Page 210, index : "[[Noman-lands|Uvanwaith]]" is written "Ovanwaith" and therefore misplaced in the index.

===Use of early sources===
Fonstad uses early names from the ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One|Book of Lost Tales]]'' era of Tolkien's development of the [[legendarium]] for some locations, particularly in [[Aman]] and [[Tol Eressëa]].

In [[Aman]], Fonstad identifies the place where [[Mandos]] delivered the [[Doom of the Noldor]] with the early name "[[Hanstovánen]]" rather than [[Araman]]. She also describes various dwellings of the [[Valar]] in [[Valinor]]. In the Second Age map of [[Tol Eressëa]], she uses the early names [[Tavrobel]] and [[Kortirion]], rather than the later names "Tathrobel" and "Cortirion" for the same places.<ref>{{LR|Quenta}}</ref> In the map of [[Gondolin]], she identifies several landmarks that are only said to exist in the earliest works.

Incorporation of these names and places on equal footing with those from later in the legendarium's evolution is questionable, but Fonstad seems to have been aware of the potential issues and explicitly notes in the accompanying text the speculative nature of the maps of the Undying Lands.

===="Dor Daidelos"====
One clear error relating to use of early materials appears on the maps of the far north of Beleriand in the First Age printed on pages 4, 5, and 15. In the ''Atlas'', the lands at the foot of [[Thangorodrim]] are labeled "[[Dor Daedeloth]] (Land of Shadow Horror)" on various maps, while the wide region north of the [[Ered Engrin]] is labeled "Dor Daidelos (Region of Everlasting Cold)" (the p. 15 map uses "Regions" plural).

However, the published ''Silmarillion'' uses "Dor Daedeloth" (Land of the Shadow of Horror) as the name for the northern lands under the control of Morgoth without distinguishing the regions north and south of the mountains.<ref>{{S|Index}}, entry "Dor Daedeloth"</ref> The name "Daidelos" for the lands north of the Ered Engrin was used only on Ambarkanta Map V; in other draft material this was changed or corrected variously to "Dor-na-Dhaideloth ('Sky-roof')," "Daideloth ('High plain')," "Dor-Daidelos," "Dor-Daedeloth," and, ultimately, "Dor Daedeloth" as it appears in the published ''Silmarillion''.<ref>{{SM|Index}}, entry "Dor-Daideloth"</ref> It seems clear from this documented evolutionary process that Tolkien intended "Dor Daedeloth" to be equivalent to, and a replacement of, the earlier term "Daidelos," not for the two to be separate coexisting regions.

As such, the label "Dor Daidelos" is in error in three ways: First, the lands north of the Ered Engrin should share the name "Dor Daedeloth" with the lands in the shadow of Thangorodrim to the south. Second, the spelling "Dor Daidelos," unhyphenated, never appears in any primary source material. Third, the translation "Region(s) of Everlasting Cold" is entirely unattested and appears to be Fonstad's own invention.

==Publication history and gallery==
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="125px" heights="125px">
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1981.jpg|1981 hardback with slipcase
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1991.jpg|1991 hardback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1992.jpg|1992 paperback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 2001.jpg|2001 paperback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 2004.jpg|2004 hardcover
File:The Atlas of Tolkien's Middle-earth 2017.jpg|2017 redesigned paperback
</gallery>
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] hardcover with slipcase ([[1981]]), ISBN 0395286654
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] hardcover ([[1991]]), ISBN 0395535166
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] paperback ([[1992]]), ISBN 0395535166
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] paperback ([[2001]]), ISBN 0618126996
*[[Easton Press]] hardcover ([[2004]]), ISBN
*[[HarperCollins]] redesigned paperback ([[2017]]), ISBN 0008194513

== Translated editions ==
* ''Atlas de la Tierra Media'' (Spanish), editor Timun Mas Narrativa, 1993.
* ''L'atlante della Terra-di-mezzo di Tolkien'' (Italian), editor Rusconi Libri, 1997, translated by Isabella Murro.
* ''Atlas Středozemě'' (Czech), editor Mladá fronta, 1998, translated by Stanislava Pošustová-Menšíková.
* ''Historischer Atlas von Mittelerde'' (German), editor Klett-Cotta, translated by Hans J. Schütz. The first german edition was published in 2001.
* ''Atlas Śródziemia'' (Polish), editor Wydawnictwo Amber, 2016, translated by Tadeusz Andrzej Olszański.
* ''Középfölde atlasza'' (Hungarian), editor Cicero, 2017, translated by Gabriella Buki, Tamás Füzessy, and Balázs Tallian.
* ''O Atlas da Terra-média'' (Portuguese), HarperCollins Brasil, 2022, translated by Cristina Casagrande.
* ''L'Atlas de la Terre du Milieu'' (French), Bragelonne, 2022, translated by Daniel Lauzon. All the maps were redrawn by the freelance illustrator Stéphane Arson in a similar style than Fonstad but modernized.
* A Japanese edition was published in 2002.

== External links ==
* [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?913898+2 List] of English-language versions of the first edition
* [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?468211 List] of English-language versions of the revised edition
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/sur-tolkien/karen_wynn_fonstad_-_atlas_terre_du_milieu Webpage] about the ''Atlas'' on Tolkiendil.com (French language)
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/sur-tolkien/critiques/atlas_fonstad_premiere_edition Webpage] on the first edition on Tolkiendil.com (French language)

{{References}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlas of Middle-earth, The}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Map books]]
[[Category:Publications by title]]

User:PLord/sandbox2

2026-03-25T21:10:14Z

PLord:

{{book
|title=The Atlas of Middle-Earth
| image = The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg
|author=[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]]
|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
|date=[[29 May]] [[1981]]<br/>[[1991]] (revised edition)<br/>[[15 June]] [[2017]] (redesigned edition)
|format=Paperback
|pages=210
|noisbn=0395286654 (1981 first edition)
0395535166 (1991 revised edition)
0618126996 (2001 reprint, pictured)
}}

'''''The Atlas of Middle-earth''''' by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] is an atlas of various lands in [[Arda]]. It includes specific maps for ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]'', for which it is intended as a reading companion.

==Contents==
The maps are treated as if they are of real landscapes, and are drawn according to the same rules that a real atlas is drawn: for each area the history of the land is taken into account, as well as geography on a larger scale and from there maps are drawn. Discussion includes suggestions as to the geology that could explain various formations, and points that are contradictory between multiple accounts.

City maps and floor plans for important buildings are also included; these are very often useful for making sense of the narratives, especially in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. As well, many battles such as [[Battles of Beleriand|those]] of [[Beleriand]], the [[Last Alliance]] and the [[War of the Ring]] are illustrated.

The book was published in [[1981]], but in [[1991]] a revised and updated version was published, which took information from ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' into account. In [[2001]], the publishers issued a reprint of the 1991 revised edition with a new cover (pictured) but identical contents.

Fonstad also made a bold attempt to fill the gaps by using early conceptual work, mainly from ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One]]'' and the ''[[Ambarkanta]]'', combining the later known maps with the sketches used by Tolkien to provide "world maps" of [[Arda]] in its entirety and show [[Aman]], [[Beleriand]]'s position relative to [[Eriador]], and the place of [[Númenor]] in the Sea.

It was, however, published before the final three volumes of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', and thus some maps are based on [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s early works, which were revised in later writings.

==Errors and criticism==
Despite being a thoroughly researched and well-respected reference book, the ''Atlas'' is known to contain several errors. However, a number of these were corrected in the revised edition, as noted below.

===Inconsistencies with earlier publications===
*Page 13: Nogrod is shown north of Belegost, and both south of Mount Dolmed. ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' states that Belegost was "to the north of the great height of Mount Dolmed" and that Nogrod was the more southerly of the two.<ref>{{S|10}}</ref>
*Pages 39 and 88: On both pages, [[Drúwaith Iaur]] is shown north of the [[Ered Nimrais]] and south of the [[Angren]], and on page 39 extending east below the [[Adorn]]. In the Unfinished Tales map, Drúwaith Iaur is in the narrow area between the ocean and the southern Ered Nimrais, south of the mouth of the [[Angren]].<ref>{{UT|Index}}, "Map"</ref>
*Page 71: [[Hardbottle]] is shown in the [[Southfarthing]] rather than the [[Northfarthing]].<ref name="Nomen">{{HM|N}}, p. 771</ref> Sackville, shown in the Southfarthing, is entirely invented (compare the [[Sackville Family]]).
*Page 89: [[Tarnost]] is shown as a city separate from [[Ethring]] though it may be a discarded name for the latter from early drafts.<ref>{{HM|AoL}}, p. 139</ref>
*Pages 92 and 93: [[Lithlad]] is shown in the south of [[Mordor]] rather than the northeast.
*Page 99: It is written that Bilbo gave the Arkenstone to the Elvenking and Bard on 22 November, then Dáin arrived in the early morning on 23 November. In ''The Hobbit'', [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] gave away the [[Arkenstone]] and then returned before midnight to wake up Bombur.<ref>{{H|Thief}}</ref> The next day, there was a new parley, it was revealed that the Elves and Men had the Arkenstone, and [[Thorin]] expelled Bilbo from the [[Lonely Mountain]]. On the ''next'' morning, Dáin arrived.<ref name="Burst">{{H|Burst}}</ref> Fonstad's timeline has Dáin arrive in one day, while the text of ''The Hobbit'' has him arrive in two days. Either Dáin must have arrived on 24 November or Bilbo must have handed over the Arkenstone late on 21 November.
*Page 106: In ''The Hobbit'', when the Dwarves saw a fire off in the woods, "The light was ahead of them and to the ''left'' of the path".<ref>{{H|Flies}}</ref> In Fonstad's map, the Dwarves left the path to the right. ''(Corrected in 2nd edition.)''
*Page 125: [[Combe]] is shown laying to the northwest of [[Staddle]] on the east side of the [[Bree-hill]], while in fact Combe should lie a little east of Staddle's location.<ref>{{FR|Sign}}</ref>

===Inconsistencies with later publications===
Both the first and second editions of the ''Atlas'' were written before the final three volumes of [[The History of Middle-earth]] were published, so at certain points it is contradicted by this later material. [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]], which was published between the first and second editions of the ''Atlas'', is not taken into account in the revision.
*Page viii: [[Middle-earth]] dominates much of the northern hemisphere of [[Arda]] [[Changing of the World|made round]], with [[Forochel]] being high in the polar regions of the world and [[Umbar]] laying more than halfway southward between the northern pole and the [[Girdle of Arda|equator]].
**In [[Letter 294]], Tolkien confirms that [[Hobbiton]] is intended to be at the latitude of [[wikipedia:Oxford|Oxford]], with [[Minas Tirith]] 600 miles south being near to the latitude of [[wikipedia:Florence|Florence]]. With this information, it is clear that Middle-earth would be hardly as large as it appears on the ''Atlas'' map of a round Arda.
*Pages 4 and 5: The [[Sea of Helcar]] is seen to cover the area of future [[Mordor]], [[Khand]], and [[Rhûn]], and the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and [[Sea of Núrnen]] are shown as its remnants.
**In ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', there are references to the Sea of Rhûn existing in the [[First Age]], as well as the forest to its northeast and the hills to its southwest, indicating that it must be separate from the Sea of Helcar.
*Pages 38 and 39: The western shores of [[Lindon]] and the [[Ethir Anduin]] are shown to exist in the [[Second Age]] of the world as they did in the [[Third Age]].
**''The Peoples of Middle-earth'' tells that during the [[Akallabêth|Downfall of Númenor]], Lindon lost much land to the advancing shores, while the eastern and southern portions of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] retreated back, putting the city of [[Pelargir]], which had been only a few miles from the coast, much farther inland.
* The [[Little Lune]] river appears on many maps but is never labeled, because its name was first published in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''.<ref>{{PM|Atani}} p.313</ref>

===Internal inconsistencies===
*Pages 12 and 53: [[Dorthonion]] and [[Himring]] are slightly above parallel J, but [[Tol Fuin]] and [[Himling]] are shown further north, above parallel I<ref>[[Didier Willis]], "On assembling maps from Beleriand to Rhûn", in ''On Cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth – Selected essays'', ed. D. Willis, Le Dragon de Brume, 2024, p.108-109</ref>. This is not just a coordinate error, as the entire geography of the atlas is affected by this mistake.
*Pages 38 and 41: [[Belegost]] has been moved 150 miles further south than previously shown to the middle of the southern [[Blue Mountains]].
*Pages 53, 76, and 80: On page 53, [[Rhosgobel]] is located near the border of [[Mirkwood]] well ''south'' of the [[Old Forest Road]], due east of [[Moria]]. On pages 76 and 80, Rhosgobel is still at the edge of the forest, but ''north'' of the Old Forest Road. One or the other location should have been used, not both.
**In ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', it is stated that in December of [[TA|TA3019]], scouts "had climbed the pass at the source of the [[Gladden River]], and had come down into [[Rhovanion|Wilderland]] and over the [[Gladden Fields]] and so at length had reached the old home of [[Radagast]] at Rhosgobel", which supports the page 53 location.<ref>{{FR|II3}}</ref>
**In ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[Christopher Tolkien]] states that Rhosgobel was "in the forest borders between the [[Carrock]] and the Old Forest Road".<ref>{{UT|Istari}}, Note 4</ref>
*Pages 89 and 210: In the map on p. 89, [[Tarnost]] is located in Q-34, but the "Index of Selected Place Names" on p. 210 places it at R-35.
*Pages 97 and 200: In the text of p. 97, Fonstad refers to the book ''[[Journeys of Frodo]]'' by Barbara Strachey, but there is no reference to this work in "Selected References" on pp. 200–201.
*Page 144: In the upper-right inset, the cleft of the brazen gate (which appears in the upper-left inset) is not depicted.
*Pages 205 and 209: The index entry "Grey Mountains" is a mix of references to the "[[Grey Mountains]]" (or Ered Mithrin, located at coordinates I-35) and the "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains (of the South)]]" (located at coordinates V/Zh-30). Additionally, the index entry "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains (of the South)]]" is incomplete. A more complete and accurate list of maps on which each set of Grey Mountains appear and are labeled is as follows (they appear unlabeled on many more):
**Northern: pp. 53, 65, 76, 80
**Southern: pp. 2, 4, 38

===Typographical errors===
*Page 2: [[Mountains of the Wind|Mts. of the Wind]] is written as "Mts. of the World".
*Page 2: [[Sea of Ringil]] is written as "Sea of Ringol".
*Page 7: [[Ezellohar]] is written as "Ezollahar". [[Ilmarin]] is written as "Ilmaren". [[Tol Eressëa|Eressëa]] is written as "Erresëa". [[Hyarmentir]] is written as "Hyamentir".
*Pages 6 and 38: [[Avallónë]] is written as "Avalónnë" and "Avalonnë", respectively.
*Pages 7 and 38: [[Alqualondë]] is written as "Aqualondë" and "Aqualóndë", respectively.
*Page 13: [[Gabilgathol]] is written as "Gabilgathod".
*Page 53: [[Caras Galadhon]] is written as "Caras Galadon".
*Page 58 : River [[Lhûn|Lune]] is written "River Lûne".
*Page 71: [[Tuckborough]] is written as "Tuckburrow".
*Page 113: [[Bolg]] is written as "Borg".<ref name="Burst"/> ''(Corrected in 2nd edition.)''
*Page 135: [[Methedras]] is written as "Mathedras".
*Page 139: "[[Fen Hollen]]" is written "Fen Hollin".
*Page 148: [[Gamling|Gamling the Old]] is written as "Gambling the Old".
*Pages 189 and 190: [[Khuzdul]], the language of the [[Dwarves]], is labeled as "[[Khazâd]]".
*Page 204, index : "[[Eryn Vorn]]" is written "Eryn Vron".
*Page 204, index : "[[Annon-In-Gelydh]]" is written "Annon-In-Gadydh", at the entry "Gate of the Noldor".
*Page 205, index : "[[Glǽmscrafu]]" is written "Glumscrafu".
*Page 205, index : "[[Haerast]]" is written "Haerest".
*Page 207, index : the pages refering to [[Ringlo]] ("12, 21") are the same than [[Ringwil]], and therefore are incorrect.
*Page 208, index : "[[Southfarthing]]" is written "Sourth Farthing".
*Page 209, index : "Eredhithui", an earlier name of the [[Misty Mountains]], is written "Ered Hithui".
*Page 210, index : "Entish Dale" is written "Entish Dle", at the entry "[[Ettenmoors|Hoardale]]".
*Page 210, index : "[[Murmuran]]", the house of Lórien in Valinor, is written "Mumuran".
*Page 210, index : "[[Noman-lands|Uvanwaith]]" is written "Ovanwaith" and therefore misplaced in the index.

===Use of early sources===
Fonstad uses early names from the ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One|Book of Lost Tales]]'' era of Tolkien's development of the [[legendarium]] for some locations, particularly in [[Aman]] and [[Tol Eressëa]].

In [[Aman]], Fonstad identifies the place where [[Mandos]] delivered the [[Doom of the Noldor]] with the early name "[[Hanstovánen]]" rather than [[Araman]]. She also describes various dwellings of the [[Valar]] in [[Valinor]]. In the Second Age map of [[Tol Eressëa]], she uses the early names [[Tavrobel]] and [[Kortirion]], rather than the later names "Tathrobel" and "Cortirion" for the same places.<ref>{{LR|Quenta}}</ref> In the map of [[Gondolin]], she identifies several landmarks that are only said to exist in the earliest works.

Incorporation of these names and places on equal footing with those from later in the legendarium's evolution is questionable, but Fonstad seems to have been aware of the potential issues and explicitly notes in the accompanying text the speculative nature of the maps of the Undying Lands.

===="Dor Daidelos"====
One clear error relating to use of early materials appears on the maps of the far north of Beleriand in the First Age printed on pages 4, 5, and 15. In the ''Atlas'', the lands at the foot of [[Thangorodrim]] are labeled "[[Dor Daedeloth]] (Land of Shadow Horror)" on various maps, while the wide region north of the [[Ered Engrin]] is labeled "Dor Daidelos (Region of Everlasting Cold)" (the p. 15 map uses "Regions" plural).

However, the published ''Silmarillion'' uses "Dor Daedeloth" (Land of the Shadow of Horror) as the name for the northern lands under the control of Morgoth without distinguishing the regions north and south of the mountains.<ref>{{S|Index}}, entry "Dor Daedeloth"</ref> The name "Daidelos" for the lands north of the Ered Engrin was used only on Ambarkanta Map V; in other draft material this was changed or corrected variously to "Dor-na-Dhaideloth ('Sky-roof')," "Daideloth ('High plain')," "Dor-Daidelos," "Dor-Daedeloth," and, ultimately, "Dor Daedeloth" as it appears in the published ''Silmarillion''.<ref>{{SM|Index}}, entry "Dor-Daideloth"</ref> It seems clear from this documented evolutionary process that Tolkien intended "Dor Daedeloth" to be equivalent to, and a replacement of, the earlier term "Daidelos," not for the two to be separate coexisting regions.

As such, the label "Dor Daidelos" is in error in three ways: First, the lands north of the Ered Engrin should share the name "Dor Daedeloth" with the lands in the shadow of Thangorodrim to the south. Second, the spelling "Dor Daidelos," unhyphenated, never appears in any primary source material. Third, the translation "Region(s) of Everlasting Cold" is entirely unattested and appears to be Fonstad's own invention.

==Publication history and gallery==
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="125px" heights="125px">
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1981.jpg|1981 hardback with slipcase
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1991.jpg|1991 hardback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1992.jpg|1992 paperback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 2001.jpg|2001 paperback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 2004.jpg|2004 hardcover
File:The Atlas of Tolkien's Middle-earth 2017.jpg|2017 redesigned paperback
</gallery>
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] hardcover with slipcase ([[1981]]), ISBN 0395286654
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] hardcover ([[1991]]), ISBN 0395535166
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] paperback ([[1992]]), ISBN 0395535166
*[[Houghton Mifflin]] paperback ([[2001]]), ISBN 0618126996
*[[Easton Press]] hardcover ([[2004]]), ISBN
*[[HarperCollins]] redesigned paperback ([[2017]]), ISBN 0008194513

== Translated editions ==
* ''Atlas de la Tierra Media'' (Spanish), editor Timun Mas Narrativa, 1993.
* ''L'atlante della Terra-di-mezzo di Tolkien'' (Italian), editor Rusconi Libri, 1997, translated by Isabella Murro.
* ''Atlas Středozemě'' (Czech), editor Mladá fronta, 1998, translated by Stanislava Pošustová-Menšíková.
* ''Historischer Atlas von Mittelerde'' (German), editor Klett-Cotta, translated by Hans J. Schütz. The first german edition was published in 2001.
* ''Atlas Śródziemia'' (Polish), editor Wydawnictwo Amber, 2016, translated by Tadeusz Andrzej Olszański.
* ''Középfölde atlasza'' (Hungarian), editor Cicero, 2017, translated by Gabriella Buki, Tamás Füzessy, and Balázs Tallian.
* ''O Atlas da Terra-média'' (Portuguese), HarperCollins Brasil, 2022, translated by Cristina Casagrande.
* ''L'Atlas de la Terre du Milieu'' (French), Bragelonne, 2022, translated by Daniel Lauzon. All the maps were redrawn by the freelance illustrator Stéphane Arson in a similar style than Fonstad but modernized.
* A Japanese edition was published in 2002.

== External links ==
* [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?913898+2 List] of English-language versions of the first edition
* [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?468211 List] of English-language versions of the revised edition
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/sur-tolkien/karen_wynn_fonstad_-_atlas_terre_du_milieu Webpage] about the ''Atlas'' on Tolkiendil.com (French language)
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/sur-tolkien/critiques/atlas_fonstad_premiere_edition Webpage] on the first edition on Tolkiendil.com (French language)

{{References}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlas of Middle-earth, The}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Map books]]
[[Category:Publications by title]]

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PLord: Created page with "{{book |title=The Atlas of Middle-Earth | image = The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg |author=Karen Wynn Fonstad |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |date=29 May 1981<br/>1991 (revised edition) |format=Paperback |pages=210 |noisbn=0395286654 (1981 first edition) 0395535166 (1991 revised edition) 0618126996 (2001 reprint, pictured) }} '''''The Atlas of Middle-earth''''' by Karen Wynn Fonstad is an atlas of various lands in Arda. It includes specific maps for ''..."

{{book
|title=The Atlas of Middle-Earth
| image = The Atlas of Middle-earth.jpg
|author=[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]]
|publisher=[[Houghton Mifflin]]
|date=[[29 May]] [[1981]]<br/>1991 (revised edition)
|format=Paperback
|pages=210
|noisbn=0395286654 (1981 first edition)
0395535166 (1991 revised edition)
0618126996 (2001 reprint, pictured)
}}

'''''The Atlas of Middle-earth''''' by [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] is an atlas of various lands in [[Arda]]. It includes specific maps for ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' and ''[[The Hobbit]]'', for which it is intended as a reading companion.

==Contents==
The maps are treated as if they are of real landscapes, and are drawn according to the same rules that a real atlas is drawn: for each area the history of the land is taken into account, as well as geography on a larger scale and from there maps are drawn. Discussion includes suggestions as to the geology that could explain various formations, and points that are contradictory between multiple accounts.

City maps and floor plans for important buildings are also included; these are very often useful for making sense of the narratives, especially in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. As well, many battles such as [[Battles of Beleriand|those]] of [[Beleriand]], the [[Last Alliance]] and the [[War of the Ring]] are illustrated.

The book was published in [[1981]], but in [[1991]] a revised and updated version was published, which took information from ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' into account. In [[2001]], the publishers issued a reprint of the 1991 revised edition with a new cover (pictured) but identical contents.

Fonstad also made a bold attempt to fill the gaps by using early conceptual work, mainly from ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One]]'' and the ''[[Ambarkanta]]'', combining the later known maps with the sketches used by Tolkien to provide "world maps" of [[Arda]] in its entirety and show [[Aman]], [[Beleriand]]'s position relative to [[Eriador]], and the place of [[Númenor]] in the Sea.

It was, however, published before the final three volumes of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', and thus some maps are based on [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s early works, which were revised in later writings.

==Errors and criticism==
Despite being a thoroughly researched and well-respected reference book, the ''Atlas'' is known to contain several errors. However, a number of these were corrected in the revised edition, as noted below.

===Inconsistencies with earlier publications===
*Page 13: Nogrod is shown north of Belegost, and both south of Mount Dolmed. ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' states that Belegost was "to the north of the great height of Mount Dolmed" and that Nogrod was the more southerly of the two.<ref>{{S|10}}</ref>
*Pages 39 and 88: On both pages, [[Drúwaith Iaur]] is shown north of the [[Ered Nimrais]] and south of the [[Angren]], and on page 39 extending east below the [[Adorn]]. In the Unfinished Tales map, Drúwaith Iaur is in the narrow area between the ocean and the southern Ered Nimrais, south of the mouth of the [[Angren]].<ref>{{UT|Index}}, "Map"</ref>
*Page 71: [[Hardbottle]] is shown in the [[Southfarthing]] rather than the [[Northfarthing]].<ref name="Nomen">{{HM|N}}, p. 771</ref> Sackville, shown in the Southfarthing, is entirely invented (compare the [[Sackville Family]]).
*Page 89: [[Tarnost]] is shown as a city separate from [[Ethring]] though it may be a discarded name for the latter from early drafts.<ref>{{HM|AoL}}, p. 139</ref>
*Pages 92 and 93: [[Lithlad]] is shown in the south of [[Mordor]] rather than the northeast.
*Page 99: It is written that Bilbo gave the Arkenstone to the Elvenking and Bard on 22 November, then Dáin arrived in the early morning on 23 November. In ''The Hobbit'', [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] gave away the [[Arkenstone]] and then returned before midnight to wake up Bombur.<ref>{{H|Thief}}</ref> The next day, there was a new parley, it was revealed that the Elves and Men had the Arkenstone, and [[Thorin]] expelled Bilbo from the [[Lonely Mountain]]. On the ''next'' morning, Dáin arrived.<ref name="Burst">{{H|Burst}}</ref> Fonstad's timeline has Dáin arrive in one day, while the text of ''The Hobbit'' has him arrive in two days. Either Dáin must have arrived on 24 November or Bilbo must have handed over the Arkenstone late on 21 November.
*Page 106: In ''The Hobbit'', when the Dwarves saw a fire off in the woods, "The light was ahead of them and to the ''left'' of the path".<ref>{{H|Flies}}</ref> In Fonstad's map, the Dwarves left the path to the right. ''(Corrected in 2nd edition.)''
*Page 125: [[Combe]] is shown laying to the northwest of [[Staddle]] on the east side of the [[Bree-hill]], while in fact Combe should lie a little east of Staddle's location.<ref>{{FR|Sign}}</ref>

===Inconsistencies with later publications===
Both the first and second editions of the ''Atlas'' were written before the final three volumes of [[The History of Middle-earth]] were published, so at certain points it is contradicted by this later material. [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]], which was published between the first and second editions of the ''Atlas'', is not taken into account in the revision.
*Page viii: [[Middle-earth]] dominates much of the northern hemisphere of [[Arda]] [[Changing of the World|made round]], with [[Forochel]] being high in the polar regions of the world and [[Umbar]] laying more than halfway southward between the northern pole and the [[Girdle of Arda|equator]].
**In [[Letter 294]], Tolkien confirms that [[Hobbiton]] is intended to be at the latitude of [[wikipedia:Oxford|Oxford]], with [[Minas Tirith]] 600 miles south being near to the latitude of [[wikipedia:Florence|Florence]]. With this information, it is clear that Middle-earth would be hardly as large as it appears on the ''Atlas'' map of a round Arda.
*Pages 4 and 5: The [[Sea of Helcar]] is seen to cover the area of future [[Mordor]], [[Khand]], and [[Rhûn]], and the [[Sea of Rhûn]] and [[Sea of Núrnen]] are shown as its remnants.
**In ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', there are references to the Sea of Rhûn existing in the [[First Age]], as well as the forest to its northeast and the hills to its southwest, indicating that it must be separate from the Sea of Helcar.
*Pages 38 and 39: The western shores of [[Lindon]] and the [[Ethir Anduin]] are shown to exist in the [[Second Age]] of the world as they did in the [[Third Age]].
**''The Peoples of Middle-earth'' tells that during the [[Akallabêth|Downfall of Númenor]], Lindon lost much land to the advancing shores, while the eastern and southern portions of the [[Bay of Belfalas]] retreated back, putting the city of [[Pelargir]], which had been only a few miles from the coast, much farther inland.
* The [[Little Lune]] river appears on many maps but is never labeled, because its name was first published in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]''.<ref>{{PM|Atani}} p.313</ref>

===Internal inconsistencies===
*Pages 12 and 53: [[Dorthonion]] and [[Himring]] are slightly above parallel J, but [[Tol Fuin]] and [[Himling]] are shown further north, above parallel I<ref>[[Didier Willis]], "On assembling maps from Beleriand to Rhûn", in ''On Cartography, maps & locations in Middle-earth – Selected essays'', ed. D. Willis, Le Dragon de Brume, 2024, p.108-109</ref>. This is not just a coordinate error, as the entire geography of the atlas is affected by this mistake.
*Pages 38 and 41: [[Belegost]] has been moved 150 miles further south than previously shown to the middle of the southern [[Blue Mountains]].
*Pages 53, 76, and 80: On page 53, [[Rhosgobel]] is located near the border of [[Mirkwood]] well ''south'' of the [[Old Forest Road]], due east of [[Moria]]. On pages 76 and 80, Rhosgobel is still at the edge of the forest, but ''north'' of the Old Forest Road. One or the other location should have been used, not both.
**In ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', it is stated that in December of [[TA|TA3019]], scouts "had climbed the pass at the source of the [[Gladden River]], and had come down into [[Rhovanion|Wilderland]] and over the [[Gladden Fields]] and so at length had reached the old home of [[Radagast]] at Rhosgobel", which supports the page 53 location.<ref>{{FR|II3}}</ref>
**In ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[Christopher Tolkien]] states that Rhosgobel was "in the forest borders between the [[Carrock]] and the Old Forest Road".<ref>{{UT|Istari}}, Note 4</ref>
*Pages 89 and 210: In the map on p. 89, [[Tarnost]] is located in Q-34, but the "Index of Selected Place Names" on p. 210 places it at R-35.
*Pages 97 and 200: In the text of p. 97, Fonstad refers to the book ''[[Journeys of Frodo]]'' by Barbara Strachey, but there is no reference to this work in "Selected References" on pp. 200–201.
*Page 144: In the upper-right inset, the cleft of the brazen gate (which appears in the upper-left inset) is not depicted.
*Pages 205 and 209: The index entry "Grey Mountains" is a mix of references to the "[[Grey Mountains]]" (or Ered Mithrin, located at coordinates I-35) and the "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains (of the South)]]" (located at coordinates V/Zh-30). Additionally, the index entry "[[Grey Mountains (ancient)|Grey Mountains (of the South)]]" is incomplete. A more complete and accurate list of maps on which each set of Grey Mountains appear and are labeled is as follows (they appear unlabeled on many more):
**Northern: pp. 53, 65, 76, 80
**Southern: pp. 2, 4, 38

===Typographical errors===
*Page 2: [[Mountains of the Wind|Mts. of the Wind]] is written as "Mts. of the World".
*Page 2: [[Sea of Ringil]] is written as "Sea of Ringol".
*Page 7: [[Ezellohar]] is written as "Ezollahar". [[Ilmarin]] is written as "Ilmaren". [[Tol Eressëa|Eressëa]] is written as "Erresëa". [[Hyarmentir]] is written as "Hyamentir".
*Pages 6 and 38: [[Avallónë]] is written as "Avalónnë" and "Avalonnë", respectively.
*Pages 7 and 38: [[Alqualondë]] is written as "Aqualondë" and "Aqualóndë", respectively.
*Page 13: [[Gabilgathol]] is written as "Gabilgathod".
*Page 53: [[Caras Galadhon]] is written as "Caras Galadon".
*Page 58 : River [[Lhûn|Lune]] is written "River Lûne".
*Page 71: [[Tuckborough]] is written as "Tuckburrow".
*Page 113: [[Bolg]] is written as "Borg".<ref name="Burst"/> ''(Corrected in 2nd edition.)''
*Page 135: [[Methedras]] is written as "Mathedras".
*Page 139: "[[Fen Hollen]]" is written "Fen Hollin".
*Page 148: [[Gamling|Gamling the Old]] is written as "Gambling the Old".
*Pages 189 and 190: [[Khuzdul]], the language of the [[Dwarves]], is labeled as "[[Khazâd]]".
*Page 204, index : "[[Eryn Vorn]]" is written "Eryn Vron".
*Page 204, index : "[[Annon-In-Gelydh]]" is written "Annon-In-Gadydh", at the entry "Gate of the Noldor".
*Page 205, index : "[[Glǽmscrafu]]" is written "Glumscrafu".
*Page 205, index : "[[Haerast]]" is written "Haerest".
*Page 207, index : the pages refering to [[Ringlo]] ("12, 21") are the same than [[Ringwil]], and therefore are incorrect.
*Page 208, index : "[[Southfarthing]]" is written "Sourth Farthing".
*Page 209, index : "Eredhithui", an earlier name of the [[Misty Mountains]], is written "Ered Hithui".
*Page 210, index : "Entish Dale" is written "Entish Dle", at the entry "[[Ettenmoors|Hoardale]]".
*Page 210, index : "[[Murmuran]]", the house of Lórien in Valinor, is written "Mumuran".
*Page 210, index : "[[Noman-lands|Uvanwaith]]" is written "Ovanwaith" and therefore misplaced in the index.

===Use of early sources===
Fonstad uses early names from the ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part One|Book of Lost Tales]]'' era of Tolkien's development of the [[legendarium]] for some locations, particularly in [[Aman]] and [[Tol Eressëa]].

In [[Aman]], Fonstad identifies the place where [[Mandos]] delivered the [[Doom of the Noldor]] with the early name "[[Hanstovánen]]" rather than [[Araman]]. She also describes various dwellings of the [[Valar]] in [[Valinor]]. In the Second Age map of [[Tol Eressëa]], she uses the early names [[Tavrobel]] and [[Kortirion]], rather than the later names "Tathrobel" and "Cortirion" for the same places.<ref>{{LR|Quenta}}</ref> In the map of [[Gondolin]], she identifies several landmarks that are only said to exist in the earliest works.

Incorporation of these names and places on equal footing with those from later in the legendarium's evolution is questionable, but Fonstad seems to have been aware of the potential issues and explicitly notes in the accompanying text the speculative nature of the maps of the Undying Lands.

===="Dor Daidelos"====
One clear error relating to use of early materials appears on the maps of the far north of Beleriand in the First Age printed on pages 4, 5, and 15. In the ''Atlas'', the lands at the foot of [[Thangorodrim]] are labeled "[[Dor Daedeloth]] (Land of Shadow Horror)" on various maps, while the wide region north of the [[Ered Engrin]] is labeled "Dor Daidelos (Region of Everlasting Cold)" (the p. 15 map uses "Regions" plural).

However, the published ''Silmarillion'' uses "Dor Daedeloth" (Land of the Shadow of Horror) as the name for the northern lands under the control of Morgoth without distinguishing the regions north and south of the mountains.<ref>{{S|Index}}, entry "Dor Daedeloth"</ref> The name "Daidelos" for the lands north of the Ered Engrin was used only on Ambarkanta Map V; in other draft material this was changed or corrected variously to "Dor-na-Dhaideloth ('Sky-roof')," "Daideloth ('High plain')," "Dor-Daidelos," "Dor-Daedeloth," and, ultimately, "Dor Daedeloth" as it appears in the published ''Silmarillion''.<ref>{{SM|Index}}, entry "Dor-Daideloth"</ref> It seems clear from this documented evolutionary process that Tolkien intended "Dor Daedeloth" to be equivalent to, and a replacement of, the earlier term "Daidelos," not for the two to be separate coexisting regions.

As such, the label "Dor Daidelos" is in error in three ways: First, the lands north of the Ered Engrin should share the name "Dor Daedeloth" with the lands in the shadow of Thangorodrim to the south. Second, the spelling "Dor Daidelos," unhyphenated, never appears in any primary source material. Third, the translation "Region(s) of Everlasting Cold" is entirely unattested and appears to be Fonstad's own invention.

==Publication history and gallery==
<gallery mode="traditional" widths="125px" heights="125px">
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1981.jpg|1981 hardback with a dust jacket
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1991.jpg|1991 hardback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 1992.jpg|1992 paperback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 2001.jpg|2001 paperback
File:The Atlas of Middle-earth 2004.jpg|2004 hardcover
File:The Atlas of Tolkien's Middle-earth 2004.jpg|2017 reprint with a cover and title redesign
</gallery>
*[[HarperCollins]] hardcover ([[2021]]), pp. 464. ISBN 0008387923
*[[HarperCollins]] hardcover with slipcase ([[2021]]), ISBN 0008440573
*[[HarperCollins]] paperback ([[2023]]), ISBN 000838794X
**2023 paperback edition, 3rd impression ([[2025]])

== Translated editions ==
* ''Atlas de la Tierra Media'' (Spanish), editor Timun Mas Narrativa, 1993.
* ''L'atlante della Terra-di-mezzo di Tolkien'' (Italian), editor Rusconi Libri, 1997, translated by Isabella Murro.
* ''Atlas Středozemě'' (Czech), editor Mladá fronta, 1998, translated by Stanislava Pošustová-Menšíková.
* ''Historischer Atlas von Mittelerde'' (German), editor Klett-Cotta, translated by Hans J. Schütz. The first german edition was published in 2001.
* ''Atlas Śródziemia'' (Polish), editor Wydawnictwo Amber, 2016, translated by Tadeusz Andrzej Olszański.
* ''Középfölde atlasza'' (Hungarian), editor Cicero, 2017, translated by Gabriella Buki, Tamás Füzessy, and Balázs Tallian.
* ''O Atlas da Terra-média'' (Portuguese), HarperCollins Brasil, 2022, translated by Cristina Casagrande.
* ''L'Atlas de la Terre du Milieu'' (French), Bragelonne, 2022, translated by Daniel Lauzon. All the maps were redrawn by the freelance illustrator Stéphane Arson in a similar style than Fonstad but modernized.
* A Japanese edition was published in 2002.

== External links ==
* [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?913898 List] of English-language versions of the first edition
* [https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?468211 List] of English-language versions of the revised edition
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/sur-tolkien/karen_wynn_fonstad_-_atlas_terre_du_milieu Webpage] about the ''Atlas'' on Tolkiendil.com (French language)
* [https://www.tolkiendil.com/tolkien/sur-tolkien/critiques/atlas_fonstad_premiere_edition Webpage] on the first edition on Tolkiendil.com (French language)

{{References}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlas of Middle-earth, The}}
{{title|italics}}
[[Category:Map books]]
[[Category:Publications by title]]

The Atlas of Tolkien's Middle-earth

2026-03-25T20:49:51Z

PLord: made a redirect

#REDIRECT [[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]

User:PLord/sandbox

2026-03-25T20:35:37Z

PLord:

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'''Some WIP stuff''': [[User:PLord/sandbox|PLord/sandbox]]

Sandbox history:
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* [[User:PLord/Rings of Power|PLord/Rings of Power]]
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User:PLord/sandbox

2026-03-25T20:20:40Z

PLord:

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{{Button|label=Files uploaded by PLord|page=Special:ListFiles/PLord|type=secondary}}
'''Some WIP stuff''': [[User:PLord/sandbox|PLord/sandbox]]
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Sandbox history:
* [[User:PLord/Lego|PLord/Lego]]
* [[User:PLord/Rings of Power|PLord/Rings of Power]]
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User:PLord/sandbox

2026-03-25T20:18:43Z

PLord: my user page sandbox

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{{Button|label=Files uploaded by PLord|page=Special:ListFiles/PLord|type=secondary}}
'''Some WIP stuff''': [[User:PLord/sandbox|PLord/sandbox]]
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Sandbox history:
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* [[User:PLord/Rings of Power|PLord/Rings of Power]]
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Riccardo Federici

2026-03-25T15:50:52Z

PLord: /* External links */

{{short description|Painter and comic artist}}
{{artist infobox
| image=
| name=Riccardo Federici
| born=[[2 September]], [[1976]]
| died=
| style=
| images=[[:Category:Images by Riccardo Federici|Images by Riccardo Federici]]
| location=Italy
| website=
}}

Riccardo Federici was born in Rome, Italy in 1976. After completing art school, he enrolled in the Faculty of Archicture at the La Sapienza University while also studying Psychology. He has made anatomic illustrations, children's comics and advertising illustrations. In 2008 he had a breakthrough as a comic artist.

== External links ==
* [https://x.com/RicFederici Riccardo Federici on X (Twitter)]
* [https://www.instagram.com/riccardo_federici_art/ Riccardo Federici on Instagram]

Riccardo Federici

2026-03-25T15:50:26Z

PLord:

{{short description|Painter and comic artist}}
{{artist infobox
| image=
| name=Riccardo Federici
| born=[[2 September]], [[1976]]
| died=
| style=
| images=[[:Category:Images by Riccardo Federici|Images by Riccardo Federici]]
| location=Italy
| website=
}}

Riccardo Federici was born in Rome, Italy in 1976. After completing art school, he enrolled in the Faculty of Archicture at the La Sapienza University while also studying Psychology. He has made anatomic illustrations, children's comics and advertising illustrations. In 2008 he had a breakthrough as a comic artist.

== External links ==
[https://x.com/RicFederici Riccardo Federici on X (Twitter)]
[https://www.instagram.com/riccardo_federici_art/ Riccardo Federici on Instagram]

File:Riccardo Federici - Eowyn and the Witch-king.jpg

2026-03-25T15:42:50Z

PLord: {{Information | description = "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Oil Painting" | date = December 2025 | medium = Oil painting | author = Riccardo Federici | source = https://x.com/RicFederici/status/2000128796062810611 | license = }} ==Licensing== {{copyright-fairuse|[https://www.artstation.com/riccardofederici Riccardo Federici]}} Category:Images by Riccardo Federici Category:Images of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields [[Category:Images of...

== Summary ==
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| description = "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Oil Painting"
| date = December 2025
| medium = Oil painting
| author = [[Riccardo Federici]]
| source = https://x.com/RicFederici/status/2000128796062810611
| license =
}}

==Licensing==
{{copyright-fairuse|[https://www.artstation.com/riccardofederici Riccardo Federici]}}

[[Category:Images by Riccardo Federici]]
[[Category:Images of the Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]
[[Category:Images of Fell beasts]]
[[Category:Images of the Witch-king]]
[[Category:Images of Éowyn]]
[[Category:Images of Éowyn and the Witch-king]]
[[Category:Images of Snowmane]]
[[Category:Images of Théoden]]

File:Riccardo Federici - The Battle of Isengard.jpg

2026-03-25T15:42:44Z

PLord: {{Information | description = "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Oil Painting" | date = December 2025 | medium = Oil painting | author = Riccardo Federici | source = https://www.fletchforward.com/fletch-a-sketch-store/p/yilyqco845gpzejm9zlj4fv11zvtee-39s6z-y5g6h-79pgb-he8te-9f4ap-yg3wg-lct7g | license = }} ==Licensing== {{copyright-fairuse|[https://www.artstation.com/riccardofederici Riccardo Federici]}} Category:Images by Riccardo Federici [[Category:...

== Summary ==
{{Information
| description = "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Oil Painting"
| date = December 2025
| medium = Oil painting
| author = [[Riccardo Federici]]
| source = https://www.fletchforward.com/fletch-a-sketch-store/p/yilyqco845gpzejm9zlj4fv11zvtee-39s6z-y5g6h-79pgb-he8te-9f4ap-yg3wg-lct7g
| license =
}}

==Licensing==
{{copyright-fairuse|[https://www.artstation.com/riccardofederici Riccardo Federici]}}

[[Category:Images by Riccardo Federici]]
[[Category:Images of the Battle of Isengard]]
[[Category:Images of Ents]]
[[Category:Images of Treebeard]]
[[Category:Images of Orthanc]]
[[Category:Images of Orcs]]

File:Riccardo Federici - Sauron and Isildur.jpg

2026-03-25T15:41:57Z

PLord: {{Information | description = "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Oil Painting" | date = December 2025 | medium = Oil painting | author = Riccardo Federici | source = https://x.com/RicFederici/status/2000127280031703551 | license = }} ==Licensing== {{copyright-fairuse|[https://www.artstation.com/riccardofederici Riccardo Federici]}} Category:Images by Riccardo Federici Category:Images of the Last Alliance Category:Images of Sauron [[...

== Summary ==
{{Information
| description = "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Oil Painting"
| date = December 2025
| medium = Oil painting
| author = [[Riccardo Federici]]
| source = https://x.com/RicFederici/status/2000127280031703551
| license =
}}

==Licensing==
{{copyright-fairuse|[https://www.artstation.com/riccardofederici Riccardo Federici]}}

[[Category:Images by Riccardo Federici]]
[[Category:Images of the Last Alliance]]
[[Category:Images of Sauron]]
[[Category:Images of the One Ring]]
[[Category:Images of Isildur]]
[[Category:Images of Narsil]]

Category:Images by Riccardo Federici

2026-03-25T15:41:07Z

PLord: Created page with "This category lists all '''images by Riccardo Federici'''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Federici, Riccardo}} Category:Images by artist"

This category lists all '''images by [[Riccardo Federici]]'''.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Federici, Riccardo}}
[[Category:Images by artist]]

Riccardo Federici

2026-03-25T15:40:37Z

PLord: Created page with "{{short description|Illustrator}} {{artist infobox | image= | name=Riccardo Federici | born=2 September, 1976 | died= | style= | images=Images by Riccardo Federici | location= | website= }}"

{{short description|Illustrator}}
{{artist infobox
| image=
| name=Riccardo Federici
| born=[[2 September]], [[1976]]
| died=
| style=
| images=[[:Category:Images by Riccardo Federici|Images by Riccardo Federici]]
| location=
| website=
}}

User:PLord/Rings of Power

2026-03-25T09:10:12Z

PLord:

{{disambig-more|Rings of Power|[[Rings of Power (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Alan Lee - The Forging of the Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Forging of the Ring'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
{{quote|In those days the smiths of [[Ost-in-Edhil]] surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. [...] Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made [[One Ring]] to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]"}}

The '''Rings of Power''' were magic rings created by the [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]]. Nineteen '''Great rings''' were made with the knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], guised as "Annatar", with him aiding in the creation of most. Sauron alone forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the One Ring or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

== Great Rings ==
A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership translates as follows:

{{blockquote|Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,<br />
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,<br />
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,<br />
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie<br />
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,<br />
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.|[[Ring-verse]]}}

The Three Rings, the Seven and the Nine were all set with their proper gem, but the One Ring was round and unadorned like the [[lesser rings]] of Power.<ref>
{{FR|Council}}, p. 251</ref>

=== The Nine ===
{{Main|Nine Rings}}
The ''Nine Rings'' were divided amongst those evil-hearted men who saw their abilities increase and became sorcerers and Kings among Men. They gained longevity but then faded away to become the [[Nazgûl]], the Ringwraiths, dominated under Sauron's will.

=== The Seven ===
{{Main|Seven Rings}}
Sauron gave some six Rings to the Dwarf-kings, although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves already gave [[Ring of Thrór|one]] to [[Durin III]]. Sauron was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit, however the rings greatly amplified the Dwarven kings' desire for dominion. They became greedy, establishing great treasure holds which eventually brought destruction to their kingdoms.

=== The Three ===
{{Main|Three Rings}}
The ''Three Rings'' of the Elves were made last, forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. However, their forging involved some of the arts taught by "Annatar". Thus they too were bound to the One Ring to some extent. They were named [[Narya]] the Ring of Fire, [[Nenya]] the Ring of Water, and [[Vilya]] the Ring of Air; they remained hidden from Sauron.

=== The One ===
{{Main|The One Ring}}
The ''One Ring'', secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of [[Mount Doom]], had the power to dominate the sixteen rings owned by Dwarves and Men. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but he placed a large amount of his own power into it at its forging, a necessity that later led to his downfall at [[Frodo Baggins]]' hands.

==History==
===Creation===

[[File:Ralph Damiani - The Forging.jpg|thumb|''The Forging'' by [[:Category:Images by Ralph Damiani|Ralph Damiani]]]]
Around {{SA|1200}}, Sauron started to corrupt the [[Elves]].<ref name="B">{{App|B1}}</ref> He did not manage to approach [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] but he had better luck with the Elven-smiths of [[Eregion]]. The [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]] were mostly [[Noldor]], and wished to have the same joys in [[Middle-earth]] as the Elves who had returned to [[Valinor]]. Sauron therefore presented himself as "[[Annatar]]", an emissary from the [[Valar]],<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> and tempted the Elves by offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth.

Annatar taught the smiths the knowledge of how to create Rings, which would grant the Elves who wear them certain powers. At first the Elves created some lesser rings, which were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown. In approximately {{SA|1500}}, the greater sixteen were created.<ref name="B" /> When Annatar departed from Eregion, [[Celebrimbor]] went on to forge the [[Three Rings]] using the knowledge he had gained from him, but without his involvement, and finished them around {{SA|1590}}.

Sauron then created the [[One Ring]] around {{SA|1600|n}}, alone, in the heart of [[Mount Doom]]. Its purpose was to rule over all the other rings, and Sauron put a great part of his power into it. The Elves, upon the creation of the One Ring, heard Sauron speak the spell, and realized they had been betrayed.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

===Advent of Sauron===
As soon as Sauron put on the One, the bearers of the Three became aware of him and took them off in fear and anger. They defied Sauron and refused to use the Rings. Seeing this, Sauron attempted to claim the Rings to distribute them to other peoples; he [[War of the Elves and Sauron|waged War against the Elves]], and although the Elves fought valiantly, Eregion was destroyed. Celebrimbor however managed to salvage the Three he created himself and secretly gave them to [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]], and [[Galadriel]]. They were originally given to the three greatest [[Eldar]] in [[Middle-earth]] at that time.<ref name="B" /><ref name="Rings" /> During the [[Sack of Eregion]], Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works from them; but he could not find the rest. Then [[Celebrimbor]] was put to torment, and he revealed the existence of the Seven Rings.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

Sauron then distributed them to Lords who desired secret power beyond their nature, hoping to bring them under his sway; [[Men]] who were the readiest to his will, became powerful sorcerers and Kings; and [[Dwarves]] who grew greedier and augmented their treasures. As Sauron had to do with their making, he easily perverted and accursed the Rings, betraying those who wore them.<ref name="Rings" />

The Mannish lords who held the Nine were consumed by them and entered the [[wraith-world]], becoming the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], servants of Sauron without will. The Dwarves who held the Seven were largely (but not totally) unaffected, but the wrath and greed brought upon them brought evils that benefitted Sauron. The Three were always held by the Elves, and [[Gandalf]] upon his arrival.<ref name="Rings" />

===Final disposition===
During the [[Third Age]], four of the Seven were destroyed during the Dwarves' conflicts with [[Dragons]], and after Sauron's return he recaptured the remaining three, the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] from [[Thráin|Thráin II]]. The Nine he took back from his [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].

Nothing is known of the fate of the [[lesser rings]], made as essays to the craft, but, according to [[Gandalf]], still dangerous for mortals that might have found them.<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>

The One was lost and refound until it was destroyed in the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]]. With its destruction, the existing Rings were freed from Sauron's control, but may have lost their power altogether. They were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]], or perhaps simply faded, while the (powerless) Three were taken with their bearers to [[Aman]].

==Powers and properties==
The Rings of Power all had certain common properties. The Elves of Eregion created the rings to preserve their lands, attempting to make them as beautiful as [[Valinor]]. Thus, a primary power of the rings was to prevent and decelerate decay and change. The rings also increased a bearer's own natural powers, seemingly granting '[[magic]]' abilities.<ref name="L131">{{L|131}}</ref>
[[File:Jef Murray - In Her Father's Garden.jpg|thumb|''In her father's garden'' by [[Jef Murray]]]]

<s>According to [[Gandalf]], a Ring of Power has the ability to "look after itself". A bearer of a Ring was unable to abandon it, but a ring could "decide" to abandon its wearer as the One Ring did many times in order to get back to Sauron.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|55}} The One Ring specifically had such power of lust that nobody had the will to try to injure it<ref name="L131" /> (even though it was indestructible itself).</s>

The One Ring was the Master Ring, which would have allowed whoever mastered the it to have control over the others rings (except the Three), the works done through them, and also could perceive and control the thoughts of anyone wearing them. The wearer of the One Ring was also able to understand speech in languages the they did not know, or at least the [[Black Speech]].<ref>{{TT|Choices}}</ref> However, the Ring corrupted the heart and mind, making its holder obsessed with it.

<s>Any bearer could use its power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so.</s>

Additionally, the One Ring, along with the Seven and the Nine, had the ability to tap into the [[Unseen]] at different degrees. The One could completely shift the wearer to the Spirit World, rendering the material body invisible to mortals.<ref name="L131" /> Men who wore a Ring of Power caused the wearer to ''fade'' and turn into a permanently invisible [[Wraiths|wraith]]<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|51}} under Sauron's domination.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|47}}

The [[Dwarves]] were more resistant to most of these effects. They could hardly be dominated, it was hard to read their thoughts and they could not be turned into wraiths. They mostly suffered under an increased wrath and lust for gold and only used their Seven Rings to increase their wealth. It was said that a golden ring was the foundation on which each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old.<ref name="Rings" />

The Three did not make their wearers invisible<ref name="L131" /> (though a wearer could make the ring itself invisible<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}</ref>). A wearer of one of the Three gained the power to heal and preserve, in many different ways, whatever they controlled. Galadriel's and Elrond's Rings allowed them to fend off Sauron and protect and preserve [[Lothlórien]] and [[Rivendell]]. Meanwhile Gandalf used [[Narya]] to inspire hope and courage in others.<ref>{{App|B2}}, [[Cirdan]]'s words to [[Gandalf]]</ref>

==Other versions of the legendarium==
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring 2.jpg|thumb|The One Ring and the Three in the [[The Lord of the Rings/Original dust-jacket designs|dust-jacket]] design for ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]]]
In an early draft of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', there were many different elements related to the Rings of Power:<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 78</ref>
*Not the Elves of Eregion, but the dark master made many rings and distributed them to ensnare others. The Elves did not have three, but had many rings. There is no mentioning of the Elves discovering the intent of the Lord of the Rings and taking off their rings. Instead, it is mentioned that there were now many [[Ring-wraiths|Elf-wraiths]].
*The [[Goblins]] had some rings and their wraiths are very evil and totally under the command of the dark master.
*The elements that the Dwarves had seven rings, that they only turned them greedy and that a golden ring was the foundation of each of the seven hoards of the Dwarves were already present. However, it is not mentioned that the dwarves were hard to dominate, that their thoughts could not be read or that they could not be turned into wraiths, it is only said that their rings could not make them invisible.
*Instead of nine rings, Men had received three rings, but had found other rings in secret places that had been thrown away by Elf-wraiths. The men-wraiths were servants of the dark master and brought their rings back to him. Instead of Isildur the ring that was later found by Bilbo fell of the hand of an Elf, but the other elements that he fled from his pursuers in a war and that the ring betrayed him and fell from his hand when he swam across a river so that he became visible to Goblins that killed him are already present in this draft.
*Instead of a [[hobbit]] called [[Déagol]], a hobbit called Dígol found the ring and used its effect to turn him invisible for malicious purposes, turned to muttering to himself so that he was called ''Gollum'' and was told to go into exile by his relatives.

In an earlier draft it is mentioned that when overcome by the Ring you turn permanently invisible, everything becomes very faint for you, you can smell more clearly than you can hear or see, and you turn into a ringwraith under the command of the Lord of the Rings. It is also mentioned that you do not have the power to turn things invisible and that your clothes are visible.<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 75</ref>

==Inspiration==
The Rings were the background story as fleshed out by Tolkien, out of the Ring that appeared in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. The lore of the Rings (especially the One) is often compared to ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', although Tolkien denounced any direct inspiration.<ref>{{L|229}}, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases."</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi's ''The Lord of the Rings'']]:'''
:In the introduction of the movie, the Rings are portrayed as a purely Elven conception and creation, which the Elves generously gave to the Dwarves and Men. It was when Sauron 'learned of the Ring-making' when he forged the One Ring.
:It contrasts the canonical account according to which the Rings were always a part of Sauron's plan, and Sauron distributed them to the Dwarves and Men after the Elves turned against him.

'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:In the [[Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All...|Prologue]], narrated by [[Galadriel]], the 19 initial Rings were shown being given to the [[Elves]], [[Men]], and [[Dwarves]]. The introduction states that all of these ring-holders were deceived by Sauron, who created the One Ring to rule them all.

'''2017: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Alongside the One Ring and the Three, names are also given to the Seven and the Nine:

:*The Seven rings of the Dwarves are given as Taurya, Sindya, Tínya, Tulcya, Úrya, Vanya, and Angya (the [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Durin]]).

:*The Nine rings of Men are named Sâkhla, Adâsh, Orôm (the ring of the [[Khamûl|Lieutenant of Dol Guldur]]), Jûru, Mêbat, Khânto, Sapthân, Nitîr, and Ûri (the ring of the [[Witch-king]]).

'''2022: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]: Season One'''
:'''Episode 9: ''[[Alloyed]]'''''
:All the lore related to the forging of the Rings of Power under the guidance of [[Annatar]] is ignored. No [[lesser rings]], nor any of the sixteen Rings is made before the Three Rings. Instead of the Three being the only ones unmarred by Sauron's intervention, they are the only ones done under [[Halbrand]]'s guidance. All the [[Magic|magical craft]] done by the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain|Elven-smiths]] is reduced to the magical properties of [[mithril]] made up for the series.

==External links==
*[https://brownmath.com/general/ringfaq.htm FAQ of the Rings] by Stan Brown
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/who-were-the-rings-of-power-made-for/ Who Were the Rings of Power Made For?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{references}}
{{rings}}
[[Category:Rings and jewels]]
[[de:Ringe der Macht]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/bijoux/anneaux/anneaux de pouvoir]]
[[fi:Mahtisormukset]]

User:PLord/sandbox

2026-03-25T02:16:33Z

PLord: Redirected page to User:PLord/Rings of Power

#REDIRECT [[User:PLord/Rings of Power]]

User:PLord/Rings of Power

2026-03-25T02:14:39Z

PLord: Attempt 2

{{disambig-more|Rings of Power|[[Rings of Power (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Alan Lee - The Forging of the Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Forging of the Ring'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
{{quote|In those days the smiths of [[Ost-in-Edhil]] surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. [...] Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made [[One Ring]] to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]"}}

The '''Rings of Power''' were magic rings created by the [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]]. Nineteen '''Great rings''' were made with the knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], guised as "Annatar", with him aiding in the creation of most. Sauron alone forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the One Ring or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

== Great rings ==
A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership translates as follows:

{{blockquote|Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,<br />
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,<br />
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,<br />
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie<br />
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,<br />
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.|[[Ring-verse]]}}

The Three Rings, the Seven and the Nine were all set with their proper gem, but the One Ring was round and unadorned like the [[lesser rings]] of Power.<ref>
{{FR|Council}}, p. 251</ref>

=== The Nine ===
{{Main|Nine Rings}}
The ''Nine Rings'' were divided amongst those evil-hearted men who saw their abilities increase and became sorcerers and Kings among Men. They gained longevity but then faded away to become the [[Nazgûl]], the Ringwraiths, dominated under Sauron's will.

=== The Seven ===
{{Main|Seven Rings}}
Sauron gave some six Rings to the Dwarf-kings, although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves already gave [[Ring of Thrór|one]] to [[Durin III]]. Sauron was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit, however the rings greatly amplified the Dwarven kings' desire for dominion. They became greedy, establishing great treasure holds which eventually brought destruction to their kingdoms.

=== The Three ===
{{Main|Three Rings}}
The ''Three Rings'' of the Elves were made last, forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. However, their forging involved some of the arts taught by "Annatar". Thus they too were bound to the One Ring to some extent. They were named [[Narya]] the Ring of Fire, [[Nenya]] the Ring of Water, and [[Vilya]] the Ring of Air; they remained hidden from Sauron.

=== The One ===
{{Main|The One Ring}}
The ''One Ring'', secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of [[Mount Doom]], had the power to dominate the sixteen rings owned by Dwarves and Men. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but he placed a large amount of his own power into it at its forging, a necessity that later led to his downfall at [[Frodo Baggins]]' hands.

==History==
===Creation===

[[File:Ralph Damiani - The Forging.jpg|thumb|''The Forging'' by [[:Category:Images by Ralph Damiani|Ralph Damiani]]]]
Around {{SA|1200}}, Sauron started to corrupt the [[Elves]].<ref name="B">{{App|B1}}</ref> He did not manage to approach [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] but he had better luck with the Elven-smiths of [[Eregion]]. The [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]] were mostly [[Noldor]], and wished to have the same joys in [[Middle-earth]] as the Elves who had returned to [[Valinor]]. Sauron therefore presented himself as "[[Annatar]]", an emissary from the [[Valar]],<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> and tempted the Elves by offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth.

Annatar taught the smiths the knowledge of how to create Rings, which would grant the Elves who wear them certain powers. At first the Elves created some lesser rings, which were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown. In approximately {{SA|1500}}, the greater sixteen were created.<ref name="B" /> When Annatar departed from Eregion, [[Celebrimbor]] went on to forge the [[Three Rings]] using the knowledge he had gained from him, but without his involvement, and finished them around {{SA|1590}}.

Sauron then created the [[One Ring]] around {{SA|1600|n}}, alone, in the heart of [[Mount Doom]]. Its purpose was to rule over all the other rings, and Sauron put a great part of his power into it. The Elves, upon the creation of the One Ring, heard Sauron speak the spell, and realized they had been betrayed.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

===Advent of Sauron===
As soon as Sauron put on the One, the bearers of the Three became aware of him and took them off in fear and anger. They defied Sauron and refused to use the Rings. Seeing this, Sauron attempted to claim the Rings to distribute them to other peoples; he [[War of the Elves and Sauron|waged War against the Elves]], and although the Elves fought valiantly, Eregion was destroyed. Celebrimbor however managed to salvage the Three he created himself and secretly gave them to [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]], and [[Galadriel]]. They were originally given to the three greatest [[Eldar]] in [[Middle-earth]] at that time.<ref name="B" /><ref name="Rings" /> During the [[Sack of Eregion]], Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works from them; but he could not find the rest. Then [[Celebrimbor]] was put to torment, and he revealed the existence of the Seven Rings.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

Sauron then distributed them to Lords who desired secret power beyond their nature, hoping to bring them under his sway; [[Men]] who were the readiest to his will, became powerful sorcerers and Kings; and [[Dwarves]] who grew greedier and augmented their treasures. As Sauron had to do with their making, he easily perverted and accursed the Rings, betraying those who wore them.<ref name="Rings" />

The Mannish lords who held the Nine were consumed by them and entered the [[wraith-world]], becoming the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], servants of Sauron without will. The Dwarves who held the Seven were largely (but not totally) unaffected, but the wrath and greed brought upon them brought evils that benefitted Sauron. The Three were always held by the Elves, and [[Gandalf]] upon his arrival.<ref name="Rings" />

===Final disposition===
During the [[Third Age]], four of the Seven were destroyed during the Dwarves' conflicts with [[Dragons]], and after Sauron's return he recaptured the remaining three, the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] from [[Thráin|Thráin II]]. The Nine he took back from his [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].

Nothing is known of the fate of the [[lesser rings]], made as essays to the craft, but, according to [[Gandalf]], still dangerous for mortals that might have found them.<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>

The One was lost and refound until it was destroyed in the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]]. With its destruction, the existing Rings were freed from Sauron's control, but may have lost their power altogether. They were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]], or perhaps simply faded, while the (powerless) Three were taken with their bearers to [[Aman]].

==Powers and properties==
The Rings of Power all had certain common properties. The Elves of Eregion created the rings to preserve their lands, attempting to make them as beautiful as [[Valinor]]. Thus, a primary power of the rings was to prevent and decelerate decay and change. The rings also increased a bearer's own natural powers, seemingly granting '[[magic]]' abilities.<ref name="L131">{{L|131}}</ref>
[[File:Jef Murray - In Her Father's Garden.jpg|thumb|''In her father's garden'' by [[Jef Murray]]]]

<s>According to [[Gandalf]], a Ring of Power has the ability to "look after itself". A bearer of a Ring was unable to abandon it, but a ring could "decide" to abandon its wearer as the One Ring did many times in order to get back to Sauron.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|55}} The One Ring specifically had such power of lust that nobody had the will to try to injure it<ref name="L131" /> (even though it was indestructible itself).</s>

The One Ring was the Master Ring, which would have allowed whoever mastered the it to have control over the others rings (except the Three), the works done through them, and also could perceive and control the thoughts of anyone wearing them. The wearer of the One Ring was also able to understand speech in languages the they did not know, or at least the [[Black Speech]].<ref>{{TT|Choices}}</ref> However, the Ring corrupted the heart and mind, making its holder obsessed with it.

<s>Any bearer could use its power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so.</s>

Additionally, the One Ring, along with the Seven and the Nine, had the ability to tap into the [[Unseen]] at different degrees. The One could completely shift the wearer to the Spirit World, rendering the material body invisible to mortals.<ref name="L131" /> Men who wore a Ring of Power caused the wearer to ''fade'' and turn into a permanently invisible [[Wraiths|wraith]]<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|51}} under Sauron's domination.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|47}}

The [[Dwarves]] were more resistant to most of these effects. They could hardly be dominated, it was hard to read their thoughts and they could not be turned into wraiths. They mostly suffered under an increased wrath and lust for gold and only used their Seven Rings to increase their wealth. It was said that a golden ring was the foundation on which each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old.<ref name="Rings" />

The Three did not make their wearers invisible<ref name="L131" /> (though a wearer could make the ring itself invisible<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}</ref>). A wearer of one of the Three gained the power to heal and preserve, in many different ways, whatever they controlled. Galadriel's and Elrond's Rings allowed them to fend off Sauron and protect and preserve [[Lothlórien]] and [[Rivendell]]. Meanwhile Gandalf used [[Narya]] to inspire hope and courage in others.<ref>{{App|B2}}, [[Cirdan]]'s words to [[Gandalf]]</ref>

==Other versions of the legendarium==
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring 2.jpg|thumb|The One Ring and the Three in the [[The Lord of the Rings/Original dust-jacket designs|dust-jacket]] design for ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]]]
In an early draft of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', there were many different elements related to the Rings of Power:<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 78</ref>
*Not the Elves of Eregion, but the dark master made many rings and distributed them to ensnare others. The Elves did not have three, but had many rings. There is no mentioning of the Elves discovering the intent of the Lord of the Rings and taking off their rings. Instead, it is mentioned that there were now many [[Ring-wraiths|Elf-wraiths]].
*The [[Goblins]] had some rings and their wraiths are very evil and totally under the command of the dark master.
*The elements that the Dwarves had seven rings, that they only turned them greedy and that a golden ring was the foundation of each of the seven hoards of the Dwarves were already present. However, it is not mentioned that the dwarves were hard to dominate, that their thoughts could not be read or that they could not be turned into wraiths, it is only said that their rings could not make them invisible.
*Instead of nine rings, Men had received three rings, but had found other rings in secret places that had been thrown away by Elf-wraiths. The men-wraiths were servants of the dark master and brought their rings back to him. Instead of Isildur the ring that was later found by Bilbo fell of the hand of an Elf, but the other elements that he fled from his pursuers in a war and that the ring betrayed him and fell from his hand when he swam across a river so that he became visible to Goblins that killed him are already present in this draft.
*Instead of a [[hobbit]] called [[Déagol]], a hobbit called Dígol found the ring and used its effect to turn him invisible for malicious purposes, turned to muttering to himself so that he was called ''Gollum'' and was told to go into exile by his relatives.

In an earlier draft it is mentioned that when overcome by the Ring you turn permanently invisible, everything becomes very faint for you, you can smell more clearly than you can hear or see, and you turn into a ringwraith under the command of the Lord of the Rings. It is also mentioned that you do not have the power to turn things invisible and that your clothes are visible.<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 75</ref>

==Inspiration==
The Rings were the background story as fleshed out by Tolkien, out of the Ring that appeared in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. The lore of the Rings (especially the One) is often compared to ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', although Tolkien denounced any direct inspiration.<ref>{{L|229}}, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases."</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi's ''The Lord of the Rings'']]:'''
:In the introduction of the movie, the Rings are portrayed as a purely Elven conception and creation, which the Elves generously gave to the Dwarves and Men. It was when Sauron 'learned of the Ring-making' when he forged the One Ring.
:It contrasts the canonical account according to which the Rings were always a part of Sauron's plan, and Sauron distributed them to the Dwarves and Men after the Elves turned against him.

'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:In the [[Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All...|Prologue]], narrated by [[Galadriel]], the 19 initial Rings were shown being given to the [[Elves]], [[Men]], and [[Dwarves]]. The introduction states that all of these ring-holders were deceived by Sauron, who created the One Ring to rule them all.

'''2017: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Alongside the One Ring and the Three, names are also given to the Seven and the Nine:

:*The Seven rings of the Dwarves are given as Taurya, Sindya, Tínya, Tulcya, Úrya, Vanya, and Angya (the [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Durin]]).

:*The Nine rings of Men are named Sâkhla, Adâsh, Orôm (the ring of the [[Khamûl|Lieutenant of Dol Guldur]]), Jûru, Mêbat, Khânto, Sapthân, Nitîr, and Ûri (the ring of the [[Witch-king]]).

'''2022: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]: Season One'''
:'''Episode 9: ''[[Alloyed]]'''''
:All the lore related to the forging of the Rings of Power under the guidance of [[Annatar]] is ignored. No [[lesser rings]], nor any of the sixteen Rings is made before the Three Rings. Instead of the Three being the only ones unmarred by Sauron's intervention, they are the only ones done under [[Halbrand]]'s guidance. All the [[Magic|magical craft]] done by the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain|Elven-smiths]] is reduced to the magical properties of [[mithril]] made up for the series.

==External links==
*[https://brownmath.com/general/ringfaq.htm FAQ of the Rings] by Stan Brown
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/who-were-the-rings-of-power-made-for/ Who Were the Rings of Power Made For?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{references}}
{{rings}}
[[Category:Rings and jewels]]
[[de:Ringe der Macht]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/bijoux/anneaux/anneaux de pouvoir]]
[[fi:Mahtisormukset]]

User:PLord/Rings of Power

2026-03-25T02:10:24Z

PLord: Undo revision 436722 by PLord (talk)

{{disambig-more|Rings of Power|[[Rings of Power (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Alan Lee - The Forging of the Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Forging of the Ring'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
{{quote|In those days the smiths of [[Ost-in-Edhil]] surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. [...] Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made [[One Ring]] to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]"}}

The '''Rings of Power''' were rings created by the [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]], nineteen '''Great Rings''' with knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], and several of them with Sauron aiding the creation. Sauron forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the One Ring or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

==Twenty Rings==
*The sixteen Rings of Power forged under Annatar's guidance:
**Sauron gave some six Rings to the Dwarf-kings, although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves already gave [[Ring of Thrór|another]] to [[Durin III]]. The Dwarves used their ''[[Seven Rings]]'' to establish their treasure hoards, but Sauron was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit. It is believed that the dwarves' natural hardiness, and the fact that it was only the more powerful dwarf lords who possessed them, made them resistant to Sauron's control, yet allowed them to accumulate treasure. The [[Ring of Thrór|final ring]] to leave the possession of the dwarves occurred when [[Thráin|Thráin II]] was captured.
**The ''[[Nine Rings]]'' were divided amongst those evil-hearted men who saw their abilities increase and became sorcerers and Kings among Men. They gained longevity but then faded away to become the Nazgûl, the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], dominated under Sauron's will.
*The ''[[Three Rings]]'' of the Elves were forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. They were made last, however, and their forging involved some of the arts taught by "Annatar". Thus they too were bound to the One Ring to some extent. They were named [[Narya]] the Ring of Fire, [[Nenya]] the Ring of Water, and [[Vilya]] the Ring of Air; they remained hidden from Sauron.
*The ''One Ring'', secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of [[Mount Doom]], had the power to dominate the sixteen rings owned by Dwarves and Men. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but he placed a large amount of his own power into it at its forging, a necessity that later led to his downfall at [[Frodo Baggins]]' hands.

The Three Rings, the Seven Rings and the Nine Rings were all set with their proper gem, but the One Ring was round and unadorned like the lesser rings of Power.<ref>{{FR|Council}}, p. 251</ref>

A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership is an important part of the lore of Middle-earth. It translates as follows:

{{blockquote|Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,<br />
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,<br />
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,<br />
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie<br />
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,<br />
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.|[[Ring-verse]]}}

==History==
===Creation===

[[File:Ralph Damiani - The Forging.jpg|thumb|''The Forging'' by [[:Category:Images by Ralph Damiani|Ralph Damiani]]]]
Around {{SA|1200}}, Sauron started to corrupt the [[Elves]].<ref name="B">{{App|B1}}</ref> He did not manage to approach [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] but he had better luck with the Elven-smiths of [[Eregion]]. The [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]] were mostly [[Noldor]], and wished to have the same joys in [[Middle-earth]] as the Elves who had returned to [[Valinor]]. Sauron therefore presented himself as "[[Annatar]]", an emissary from the [[Valar]],<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> and tempted the Elves by offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth.

Annatar taught the smiths the knowledge of how to create Rings, which would grant the Elves who wear them certain powers. At first the Elves created some lesser rings, which were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown. In approximately {{SA|1500}}, the greater sixteen were created.<ref name="B" /> When Annatar departed from Eregion, [[Celebrimbor]] went on to forge the [[Three Rings]] using the knowledge he had gained from him, but without his involvement, and finished them around {{SA|1590}}.

Sauron then created the [[One Ring]] around {{SA|1600|n}}, alone, in the heart of [[Mount Doom]]. Its purpose was to rule over all the other rings, and Sauron put a great part of his power into it. The Elves, upon the creation of the One Ring, heard Sauron speak the spell, and realized they had been betrayed.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

===Advent of Sauron===
As soon as Sauron put on the One, the bearers of the Three became aware of him and took them off in fear and anger. They defied Sauron and refused to use the Rings. Seeing this, Sauron attempted to claim the Rings to distribute them to other peoples; he [[War of the Elves and Sauron|waged War against the Elves]], and although the Elves fought valiantly, Eregion was destroyed. Celebrimbor however managed to salvage the Three he created himself and secretly gave them to [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]], and [[Galadriel]]. They were originally given to the three greatest [[Eldar]] in [[Middle-earth]] at that time.<ref name="B" /><ref name="Rings" /> During the [[Sack of Eregion]], Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works from them; but he could not find the rest. Then [[Celebrimbor]] was put to torment, and he revealed the existence of the Seven Rings.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

Sauron then distributed them to Lords who desired secret power beyond their nature, hoping to bring them under his sway; [[Men]] who were the readiest to his will, became powerful sorcerers and Kings; and [[Dwarves]] who grew greedier and augmented their treasures. As Sauron had to do with their making, he easily perverted and accursed the Rings, betraying those who wore them.<ref name="Rings" />

The Mannish lords who held the Nine were consumed by them and entered the [[wraith-world]], becoming the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], servants of Sauron without will. The Dwarves who held the Seven were largely (but not totally) unaffected, but the wrath and greed brought upon them brought evils that benefitted Sauron. The Three were always held by the Elves, and [[Gandalf]] upon his arrival.<ref name="Rings" />

===Final disposition===
During the [[Third Age]], four of the Seven were destroyed during the Dwarves' conflicts with [[Dragons]], and after Sauron's return he recaptured the remaining three, the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] from [[Thráin|Thráin II]]. The Nine he took back from his [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].

Nothing is known of the fate of the [[lesser rings]], made as essays to the craft, but, according to [[Gandalf]], still dangerous for mortals that might have found them.<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>

The One was lost and refound until it was destroyed in the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]]. With its destruction, the existing Rings were freed from Sauron's control, but may have lost their power altogether. They were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]], or perhaps simply faded, while the (powerless) Three were taken with their bearers to [[Aman]].

==Characteristics==
===Powers and properties===
The Rings of Power all had certain common properties. The Elves of Eregion created the rings to preserve their lands, attempting to make them as beautiful as [[Valinor]]. Thus, a primary power of the rings was to prevent and decelerate decay and change. The rings also increased a bearer's own natural powers, seemingly granting '[[magic]]' abilities.<ref name="L131">{{L|131}}</ref>
[[File:Jef Murray - In Her Father's Garden.jpg|thumb|''In her father's garden'' by [[Jef Murray]]]]
According to [[Gandalf]], a Ring of Power has the ability to "look after itself". A bearer of a Ring was unable to abandon it, but a ring could "decide" to abandon its wearer as the One Ring did many times in order to get back to Sauron.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|55}} The One Ring specifically had such power of lust that nobody had the will to try to injure it<ref name="L131" /> (even though it was indestructible itself).

Additionally, the One Ring, along with the Seven and the Nine, had the ability to tap into the [[Unseen]] at different degrees. The One could completely shift the wearer to the Spirit World, rendering the material body invisible to mortals.<ref name="L131" /> Men who wore a Ring of Power caused the wearer to ''fade'' and turn into a permanently invisible [[Wraiths|wraith]]<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|51}} under Sauron's domination.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|47}}

The [[Dwarves]] however were more resistant to most of these effects. They could hardly be dominated, it was hard to read their thoughts and they could not be turned into wraiths. They mostly suffered under an increased wrath and lust for gold and only used their Seven Rings to increase their wealth. It was said that a golden ring was the foundation on which each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old.<ref name="Rings" />

The Three did not make their wearers invisible<ref name="L131" /> (though a wearer could make the ring itself invisible<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}</ref>). A wearer of one of the Three gained the power to heal and preserve, in many different ways, whatever they controlled. Galadriel's and Elrond's Rings allowed them to fend off Sauron and protect and preserve [[Lothlórien]] and [[Rivendell]]. [[Narya]] also had the power to inspire hope and courage in others.<ref>{{App|B2}}, [[Cirdan]]'s words to [[Gandalf]]</ref>

===The One Ring===
{{main|One Ring}}
For the One Ring to have the ability to control The Three, it was necessary for Sauron to allow a significant amount of his power and will to flow into it during its forging. As it was the Master Ring, whoever mastered the One also had control over the other rings, the works done through them, and also could perceive and control the thoughts of anyone wearing another ring. But Sauron never managed to do so, because as soon as he wore it upon his finger, the Elves became aware of him.<ref name="Rings" />

The wearer also was able to understand speech in languages the wearer did not know, or at least able to understand the [[Black Speech]].<ref>{{TT|Choices}}</ref>

Any bearer could use its power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so. However the Ring corrupted the heart and mind, making its wearer obsessed with it.

==Other versions of the legendarium==
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring 2.jpg|thumb|The One Ring and the Three in the [[The Lord of the Rings/Original dust-jacket designs|dust-jacket]] design for ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]]]
In an early draft of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', there were many different elements related to the Rings of Power:<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 78</ref>
*Not the Elves of Eregion, but the dark master made many rings and distributed them to ensnare others. The Elves did not have three, but had many rings. There is no mentioning of the Elves discovering the intent of the Lord of the Rings and taking off their rings. Instead, it is mentioned that there were now many [[Ring-wraiths|Elf-wraiths]].
*The [[Goblins]] had some rings and their wraiths are very evil and totally under the command of the dark master.
*The elements that the Dwarves had seven rings, that they only turned them greedy and that a golden ring was the foundation of each of the seven hoards of the Dwarves were already present. However, it is not mentioned that the dwarves were hard to dominate, that their thoughts could not be read or that they could not be turned into wraiths, it is only said that their rings could not make them invisible.
*Instead of nine rings, Men had received three rings, but had found other rings in secret places that had been thrown away by Elf-wraiths. The men-wraiths were servants of the dark master and brought their rings back to him. Instead of Isildur the ring that was later found by Bilbo fell of the hand of an Elf, but the other elements that he fled from his pursuers in a war and that the ring betrayed him and fell from his hand when he swam across a river so that he became visible to Goblins that killed him are already present in this draft.
*Instead of a [[hobbit]] called [[Déagol]], a hobbit called Dígol found the ring and used its effect to turn him invisible for malicious purposes, turned to muttering to himself so that he was called ''Gollum'' and was told to go into exile by his relatives.

In an earlier draft it is mentioned that when overcome by the Ring you turn permanently invisible, everything becomes very faint for you, you can smell more clearly than you can hear or see, and you turn into a ringwraith under the command of the Lord of the Rings. It is also mentioned that you do not have the power to turn things invisible and that your clothes are visible.<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 75</ref>

==Inspiration==
The Rings were the background story as fleshed out by Tolkien, out of the Ring that appeared in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. The lore of the Rings (especially the One) is often compared to ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', although Tolkien denounced any direct inspiration.<ref>{{L|229}}, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases."</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi's ''The Lord of the Rings'']]:'''
:In the introduction of the movie, the Rings are portrayed as a purely Elven conception and creation, which the Elves generously gave to the Dwarves and Men. It was when Sauron 'learned of the Ring-making' when he forged the One Ring.
:It contrasts the canonical account according to which the Rings were always a part of Sauron's plan, and Sauron distributed them to the Dwarves and Men after the Elves turned against him.

'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:In the [[Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All...|Prologue]], narrated by [[Galadriel]], the 19 initial Rings were shown being given to the [[Elves]], [[Men]], and [[Dwarves]]. The introduction states that all of these ring-holders were deceived by Sauron, who created the One Ring to rule them all.

'''2017: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Alongside the One Ring and the Three, names are also given to the Seven and the Nine:

:*The Seven rings of the Dwarves are given as Taurya, Sindya, Tínya, Tulcya, Úrya, Vanya, and Angya (the [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Durin]]).
:*The Nine rings of Men are named Sâkhla, Adâsh, Orôm (the ring of the [[Khamûl|Lieutenant of Dol Guldur]]), Jûru, Mêbat, Khânto, Sapthân, Nitîr, and Ûri (the ring of the [[Witch-king]]).

'''2022: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]: Season One'''
:'''Episode 9: ''[[Alloyed]]'''''
:All the lore related to the forging of the Rings of Power under the guidance of [[Annatar]] is ignored. No [[lesser rings]], nor any of the sixteen Rings is made before the Three Rings. Instead of the Three being the only ones unmarred by Sauron's intervention, they are the only ones done under [[Halbrand]]'s guidance. All the [[Magic|magical craft]] done by the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain|Elven-smiths]] is reduced to the magical properties of [[mithril]] made up for the series.

==External links==
*[https://brownmath.com/general/ringfaq.htm FAQ of the Rings] by Stan Brown
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/who-were-the-rings-of-power-made-for/ Who Were the Rings of Power Made For?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{references}}
{{rings}}
[[Category:Rings and jewels]]
[[de:Ringe der Macht]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/bijoux/anneaux/anneaux de pouvoir]]
[[fi:Mahtisormukset]]

User:PLord/Rings of Power

2026-03-25T02:02:08Z

PLord: Full, mostly done update for comparison

{{disambig-more|Rings of Power|[[Rings of Power (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Alan Lee - The Forging of the Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Forging of the Ring'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
{{quote|In those days the smiths of [[Ost-in-Edhil]] surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. [...] Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made [[One Ring]] to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]"}}
The '''Rings of Power''' were magic rings created by the [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]]. Nineteen '''Great rings''' were made with the knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], guised as "Annatar", with him aiding in the creation of most. Sauron alone forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the One Ring or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].
== Great rings ==
A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership translates as follows:
{{blockquote|Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,<br />
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,<br />
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,<br />
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie<br />
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,<br />
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.|[[Ring-verse]]}}
The Three Rings, the Seven and the Nine were all set with their proper gem, but the One Ring was round and unadorned like the [[lesser rings]] of Power.<ref>{{FR|Council}}, p. 251</ref>
=== The Nine ===
{{Main|Nine Rings}}
The ''Nine Rings'' were divided amongst those evil-hearted men who saw their abilities increase and became sorcerers and Kings among Men. They gained longevity but then faded away to become the [[Nazgûl]], the Ringwraiths, dominated under Sauron's will.
=== The Seven ===
{{Main|Seven Rings}}
Sauron gave some six Rings to the Dwarf-kings, although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves already gave [[Ring of Thrór|one]] to [[Durin III]]. Sauron was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit, however the rings greatly amplified the Dwarven kings' desire for dominion. They became greedy, establishing great treasure holds which eventually brought destruction to their kingdoms.
=== The Three ===
{{Main|Three Rings}}
The ''Three Rings'' of the Elves were made last, forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. However, their forging involved some of the arts taught by "Annatar". Thus they too were bound to the One Ring to some extent. They were named [[Narya]] the Ring of Fire, [[Nenya]] the Ring of Water, and [[Vilya]] the Ring of Air; they remained hidden from Sauron.
=== The One ===
{{Main|The One Ring}}
The ''One Ring'', secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of [[Mount Doom]], had the power to dominate the sixteen rings owned by Dwarves and Men. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but he placed a large amount of his own power into it at its forging, a necessity that later led to his downfall at [[Frodo Baggins]]' hands.
==History==
===Creation===

[[File:Ralph Damiani - The Forging.jpg|thumb|''The Forging'' by [[:Category:Images by Ralph Damiani|Ralph Damiani]]]]
Around {{SA|1200}}, Sauron started to corrupt the [[Elves]].<ref name="B">{{App|B1}}</ref> He did not manage to approach [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] but he had better luck with the Elven-smiths of [[Eregion]]. The [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]] were mostly [[Noldor]], and wished to have the same joys in [[Middle-earth]] as the Elves who had returned to [[Valinor]]. Sauron therefore presented himself as "[[Annatar]]", an emissary from the [[Valar]],<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> and tempted the Elves by offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth.
Annatar taught the smiths the knowledge of how to create Rings, which would grant the Elves who wear them certain powers. At first the Elves created some lesser rings, which were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown. In approximately {{SA|1500}}, the greater sixteen were created.<ref name="B" /> When Annatar departed from Eregion, [[Celebrimbor]] went on to forge the [[Three Rings]] using the knowledge he had gained from him, but without his involvement, and finished them around {{SA|1590}}.
Sauron then created the [[One Ring]] around {{SA|1600|n}}, alone, in the heart of [[Mount Doom]]. Its purpose was to rule over all the other rings, and Sauron put a great part of his power into it. The Elves, upon the creation of the One Ring, heard Sauron speak the spell, and realized they had been betrayed.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>
===Advent of Sauron===
As soon as Sauron put on the One, the bearers of the Three became aware of him and took them off in fear and anger. They defied Sauron and refused to use the Rings. Seeing this, Sauron attempted to claim the Rings to distribute them to other peoples; he [[War of the Elves and Sauron|waged War against the Elves]], and although the Elves fought valiantly, Eregion was destroyed. Celebrimbor however managed to salvage the Three he created himself and secretly gave them to [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]], and [[Galadriel]]. They were originally given to the three greatest [[Eldar]] in [[Middle-earth]] at that time.<ref name="B" /><ref name="Rings" /> During the [[Sack of Eregion]], Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works from them; but he could not find the rest. Then [[Celebrimbor]] was put to torment, and he revealed the existence of the Seven Rings.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>
Sauron then distributed them to Lords who desired secret power beyond their nature, hoping to bring them under his sway; [[Men]] who were the readiest to his will, became powerful sorcerers and Kings; and [[Dwarves]] who grew greedier and augmented their treasures. As Sauron had to do with their making, he easily perverted and accursed the Rings, betraying those who wore them.<ref name="Rings" />
The Mannish lords who held the Nine were consumed by them and entered the [[wraith-world]], becoming the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], servants of Sauron without will. The Dwarves who held the Seven were largely (but not totally) unaffected, but the wrath and greed brought upon them brought evils that benefitted Sauron. The Three were always held by the Elves, and [[Gandalf]] upon his arrival.<ref name="Rings" />
===Final disposition===
During the [[Third Age]], four of the Seven were destroyed during the Dwarves' conflicts with [[Dragons]], and after Sauron's return he recaptured the remaining three, the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] from [[Thráin|Thráin II]]. The Nine he took back from his [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].
Nothing is known of the fate of the [[lesser rings]], made as essays to the craft, but, according to [[Gandalf]], still dangerous for mortals that might have found them.<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>
The One was lost and refound until it was destroyed in the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]]. With its destruction, the existing Rings were freed from Sauron's control, but may have lost their power altogether. They were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]], or perhaps simply faded, while the (powerless) Three were taken with their bearers to [[Aman]].
==Powers and properties==
The Rings of Power all had certain common properties. The Elves of Eregion created the rings to preserve their lands, attempting to make them as beautiful as [[Valinor]]. Thus, a primary power of the rings was to prevent and decelerate decay and change. The rings also increased a bearer's own natural powers, seemingly granting '[[magic]]' abilities.<ref name="L131">{{L|131}}</ref>
[[File:Jef Murray - In Her Father's Garden.jpg|thumb|''In her father's garden'' by [[Jef Murray]]]]
<s>According to [[Gandalf]], a Ring of Power has the ability to "look after itself". A bearer of a Ring was unable to abandon it, but a ring could "decide" to abandon its wearer as the One Ring did many times in order to get back to Sauron.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|55}} The One Ring specifically had such power of lust that nobody had the will to try to injure it<ref name="L131" /> (even though it was indestructible itself).</s>
The One Ring was the Master Ring, which would have allowed whoever mastered the it to have control over the others rings (except the Three), the works done through them, and also could perceive and control the thoughts of anyone wearing them. The wearer of the One Ring was also able to understand speech in languages the they did not know, or at least the [[Black Speech]].<ref>{{TT|Choices}}</ref> However, the Ring corrupted the heart and mind, making its holder obsessed with it.
<s>Any bearer could use its power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so.</s>
Additionally, the One Ring, along with the Seven and the Nine, had the ability to tap into the [[Unseen]] at different degrees. The One could completely shift the wearer to the Spirit World, rendering the material body invisible to mortals.<ref name="L131" /> Men who wore a Ring of Power caused the wearer to ''fade'' and turn into a permanently invisible [[Wraiths|wraith]]<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|51}} under Sauron's domination.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|47}}
The [[Dwarves]] were more resistant to most of these effects. They could hardly be dominated, it was hard to read their thoughts and they could not be turned into wraiths. They mostly suffered under an increased wrath and lust for gold and only used their Seven Rings to increase their wealth. It was said that a golden ring was the foundation on which each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old.<ref name="Rings" />
The Three did not make their wearers invisible<ref name="L131" /> (though a wearer could make the ring itself invisible<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}</ref>). A wearer of one of the Three gained the power to heal and preserve, in many different ways, whatever they controlled. Galadriel's and Elrond's Rings allowed them to fend off Sauron and protect and preserve [[Lothlórien]] and [[Rivendell]]. Meanwhile Gandalf used [[Narya]] to inspire hope and courage in others.<ref>{{App|B2}}, [[Cirdan]]'s words to [[Gandalf]]</ref>
==Other versions of the legendarium==
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring 2.jpg|thumb|The One Ring and the Three in the [[The Lord of the Rings/Original dust-jacket designs|dust-jacket]] design for ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]]]
In an early draft of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', there were many different elements related to the Rings of Power:<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 78</ref>
*Not the Elves of Eregion, but the dark master made many rings and distributed them to ensnare others. The Elves did not have three, but had many rings. There is no mentioning of the Elves discovering the intent of the Lord of the Rings and taking off their rings. Instead, it is mentioned that there were now many [[Ring-wraiths|Elf-wraiths]].
*The [[Goblins]] had some rings and their wraiths are very evil and totally under the command of the dark master.
*The elements that the Dwarves had seven rings, that they only turned them greedy and that a golden ring was the foundation of each of the seven hoards of the Dwarves were already present. However, it is not mentioned that the dwarves were hard to dominate, that their thoughts could not be read or that they could not be turned into wraiths, it is only said that their rings could not make them invisible.
*Instead of nine rings, Men had received three rings, but had found other rings in secret places that had been thrown away by Elf-wraiths. The men-wraiths were servants of the dark master and brought their rings back to him. Instead of Isildur the ring that was later found by Bilbo fell of the hand of an Elf, but the other elements that he fled from his pursuers in a war and that the ring betrayed him and fell from his hand when he swam across a river so that he became visible to Goblins that killed him are already present in this draft.
*Instead of a [[hobbit]] called [[Déagol]], a hobbit called Dígol found the ring and used its effect to turn him invisible for malicious purposes, turned to muttering to himself so that he was called ''Gollum'' and was told to go into exile by his relatives.
In an earlier draft it is mentioned that when overcome by the Ring you turn permanently invisible, everything becomes very faint for you, you can smell more clearly than you can hear or see, and you turn into a ringwraith under the command of the Lord of the Rings. It is also mentioned that you do not have the power to turn things invisible and that your clothes are visible.<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 75</ref>
==Inspiration==
The Rings were the background story as fleshed out by Tolkien, out of the Ring that appeared in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. The lore of the Rings (especially the One) is often compared to ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', although Tolkien denounced any direct inspiration.<ref>{{L|229}}, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases."</ref>
==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi's ''The Lord of the Rings'']]:'''
:In the introduction of the movie, the Rings are portrayed as a purely Elven conception and creation, which the Elves generously gave to the Dwarves and Men. It was when Sauron 'learned of the Ring-making' when he forged the One Ring.
:It contrasts the canonical account according to which the Rings were always a part of Sauron's plan, and Sauron distributed them to the Dwarves and Men after the Elves turned against him.
'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:In the [[Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All...|Prologue]], narrated by [[Galadriel]], the 19 initial Rings were shown being given to the [[Elves]], [[Men]], and [[Dwarves]]. The introduction states that all of these ring-holders were deceived by Sauron, who created the One Ring to rule them all.
'''2017: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Alongside the One Ring and the Three, names are also given to the Seven and the Nine:
:*The Seven rings of the Dwarves are given as Taurya, Sindya, Tínya, Tulcya, Úrya, Vanya, and Angya (the [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Durin]]).
:*The Nine rings of Men are named Sâkhla, Adâsh, Orôm (the ring of the [[Khamûl|Lieutenant of Dol Guldur]]), Jûru, Mêbat, Khânto, Sapthân, Nitîr, and Ûri (the ring of the [[Witch-king]]).
'''2022: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]: Season One'''
:'''Episode 9: ''[[Alloyed]]'''''
:All the lore related to the forging of the Rings of Power under the guidance of [[Annatar]] is ignored. No [[lesser rings]], nor any of the sixteen Rings is made before the Three Rings. Instead of the Three being the only ones unmarred by Sauron's intervention, they are the only ones done under [[Halbrand]]'s guidance. All the [[Magic|magical craft]] done by the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain|Elven-smiths]] is reduced to the magical properties of [[mithril]] made up for the series.
==External links==
*[https://brownmath.com/general/ringfaq.htm FAQ of the Rings] by Stan Brown
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/who-were-the-rings-of-power-made-for/ Who Were the Rings of Power Made For?] by [[Michael Martinez]]
{{references}}
{{rings}}
[[Category:Rings and jewels]]
[[de:Ringe der Macht]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/bijoux/anneaux/anneaux de pouvoir]]
[[fi:Mahtisormukset]]

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2026-03-25T02:00:51Z

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<div style="margin-left: 20px";>[[File:Alan Lee - Fall of Númenor.jpg|left|thumb|700px]]</div>
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* [[User:PLord/Lego|PLord/Lego]]
* [[User:PLord/Rings of Power|PLord/Rings of Power]]

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2026-03-25T01:58:22Z

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{{disambig-more|Rings of Power|[[Rings of Power (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:Alan Lee - The Forging of the Ring.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Forging of the Ring'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
{{quote|In those days the smiths of [[Ost-in-Edhil]] surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. [...] Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made [[One Ring]] to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last.|''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]"}}

The '''Rings of Power''' were magic rings created by the [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]]. Nineteen '''Great rings''' were made with the knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], guised as "Annatar", with him aiding in the creation of most. Sauron alone forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the One Ring or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

== Great rings ==
A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership translates as follows:

{{blockquote|Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,<br />
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,<br />
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,<br />
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie<br />
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,<br />
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them<br />
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.|[[Ring-verse]]}}

The Three Rings, the Seven and the Nine were all set with their proper gem, but the One Ring was round and unadorned like the [[lesser rings]] of Power.<ref>{{FR|Council}}, p. 251</ref>

=== The Nine ===
{{Main|Nine Rings}}
The ''Nine Rings'' were divided amongst those evil-hearted men who saw their abilities increase and became sorcerers and Kings among Men. They gained longevity but then faded away to become the [[Nazgûl]], the Ringwraiths, dominated under Sauron's will.

=== The Seven ===
{{Main|Seven Rings}}
Sauron gave some six Rings to the Dwarf-kings, although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves already gave [[Ring of Thrór|one]] to [[Durin III]]. Sauron was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit, however the rings greatly amplified the Dwarven kings' desire for dominion. They became greedy, establishing great treasure holds which eventually brought destruction to their kingdoms.

=== The Three ===
{{Main|Three Rings}}
The ''Three Rings'' of the Elves were made last, forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. However, their forging involved some of the arts taught by "Annatar". Thus they too were bound to the One Ring to some extent. They were named [[Narya]] the Ring of Fire, [[Nenya]] the Ring of Water, and [[Vilya]] the Ring of Air; they remained hidden from Sauron.

=== The One ===
{{Main|The One Ring}}
The ''One Ring'', secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of [[Mount Doom]], had the power to dominate the sixteen rings owned by Dwarves and Men. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but he placed a large amount of his own power into it at its forging, a necessity that later led to his downfall at [[Frodo Baggins]]' hands.

==History==
===Creation===

[[File:Ralph Damiani - The Forging.jpg|thumb|''The Forging'' by [[:Category:Images by Ralph Damiani|Ralph Damiani]]]]
Around {{SA|1200}}, Sauron started to corrupt the [[Elves]].<ref name="B">{{App|B1}}</ref> He did not manage to approach [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] but he had better luck with the Elven-smiths of [[Eregion]]. The [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain]] of [[Eregion]] were mostly [[Noldor]], and wished to have the same joys in [[Middle-earth]] as the Elves who had returned to [[Valinor]]. Sauron therefore presented himself as "[[Annatar]]", an emissary from the [[Valar]],<ref name="Rings">{{S|Rings}}</ref> and tempted the Elves by offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth.

Annatar taught the smiths the knowledge of how to create Rings, which would grant the Elves who wear them certain powers. At first the Elves created some lesser rings, which were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown. In approximately {{SA|1500}}, the greater sixteen were created.<ref name="B" /> When Annatar departed from Eregion, [[Celebrimbor]] went on to forge the [[Three Rings]] using the knowledge he had gained from him, but without his involvement, and finished them around {{SA|1590}}.

Sauron then created the [[One Ring]] around {{SA|1600|n}}, alone, in the heart of [[Mount Doom]]. Its purpose was to rule over all the other rings, and Sauron put a great part of his power into it. The Elves, upon the creation of the One Ring, heard Sauron speak the spell, and realized they had been betrayed.<ref>{{FR|Council}}</ref>

===Advent of Sauron===
As soon as Sauron put on the One, the bearers of the Three became aware of him and took them off in fear and anger. They defied Sauron and refused to use the Rings. Seeing this, Sauron attempted to claim the Rings to distribute them to other peoples; he [[War of the Elves and Sauron|waged War against the Elves]], and although the Elves fought valiantly, Eregion was destroyed. Celebrimbor however managed to salvage the Three he created himself and secretly gave them to [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]], and [[Galadriel]]. They were originally given to the three greatest [[Eldar]] in [[Middle-earth]] at that time.<ref name="B" /><ref name="Rings" /> During the [[Sack of Eregion]], Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works from them; but he could not find the rest. Then [[Celebrimbor]] was put to torment, and he revealed the existence of the Seven Rings.<ref>{{UT|Galadriel}}</ref>

Sauron then distributed them to Lords who desired secret power beyond their nature, hoping to bring them under his sway; [[Men]] who were the readiest to his will, became powerful sorcerers and Kings; and [[Dwarves]] who grew greedier and augmented their treasures. As Sauron had to do with their making, he easily perverted and accursed the Rings, betraying those who wore them.<ref name="Rings" />

The Mannish lords who held the Nine were consumed by them and entered the [[wraith-world]], becoming the [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], servants of Sauron without will. The Dwarves who held the Seven were largely (but not totally) unaffected, but the wrath and greed brought upon them brought evils that benefitted Sauron. The Three were always held by the Elves, and [[Gandalf]] upon his arrival.<ref name="Rings" />

===Final disposition===
During the [[Third Age]], four of the Seven were destroyed during the Dwarves' conflicts with [[Dragons]], and after Sauron's return he recaptured the remaining three, the [[Ring of Thrór|last]] from [[Thráin|Thráin II]]. The Nine he took back from his [[Nazgûl|Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of the [[War of the Ring]].

Nothing is known of the fate of the [[lesser rings]], made as essays to the craft, but, according to [[Gandalf]], still dangerous for mortals that might have found them.<ref name="Shadow">{{FR|Shadow}}</ref>

The One was lost and refound until it was destroyed in the [[Cracks of Doom|Crack of Doom]]. With its destruction, the existing Rings were freed from Sauron's control, but may have lost their power altogether. They were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]], or perhaps simply faded, while the (powerless) Three were taken with their bearers to [[Aman]].

==Powers and properties==
The Rings of Power all had certain common properties. The Elves of Eregion created the rings to preserve their lands, attempting to make them as beautiful as [[Valinor]]. Thus, a primary power of the rings was to prevent and decelerate decay and change. The rings also increased a bearer's own natural powers, seemingly granting '[[magic]]' abilities.<ref name="L131">{{L|131}}</ref>
[[File:Jef Murray - In Her Father's Garden.jpg|thumb|''In her father's garden'' by [[Jef Murray]]]]

<s>According to [[Gandalf]], a Ring of Power has the ability to "look after itself". A bearer of a Ring was unable to abandon it, but a ring could "decide" to abandon its wearer as the One Ring did many times in order to get back to Sauron.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|55}} The One Ring specifically had such power of lust that nobody had the will to try to injure it<ref name="L131" /> (even though it was indestructible itself).</s>

The One Ring was the Master Ring, which would have allowed whoever mastered the it to have control over the others rings (except the Three), the works done through them, and also could perceive and control the thoughts of anyone wearing them. The wearer of the One Ring was also able to understand speech in languages the they did not know, or at least the [[Black Speech]].<ref>{{TT|Choices}}</ref> However, the Ring corrupted the heart and mind, making its holder obsessed with it.

<s>Any bearer could use its power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so.</s>

Additionally, the One Ring, along with the Seven and the Nine, had the ability to tap into the [[Unseen]] at different degrees. The One could completely shift the wearer to the Spirit World, rendering the material body invisible to mortals.<ref name="L131" /> Men who wore a Ring of Power caused the wearer to ''fade'' and turn into a permanently invisible [[Wraiths|wraith]]<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|51}} under Sauron's domination.<ref name="Shadow" />{{rp|47}}

The [[Dwarves]] were more resistant to most of these effects. They could hardly be dominated, it was hard to read their thoughts and they could not be turned into wraiths. They mostly suffered under an increased wrath and lust for gold and only used their Seven Rings to increase their wealth. It was said that a golden ring was the foundation on which each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old.<ref name="Rings" />

The Three did not make their wearers invisible<ref name="L131" /> (though a wearer could make the ring itself invisible<ref>{{FR|Mirror}}</ref>). A wearer of one of the Three gained the power to heal and preserve, in many different ways, whatever they controlled. Galadriel's and Elrond's Rings allowed them to fend off Sauron and protect and preserve [[Lothlórien]] and [[Rivendell]]. Meanwhile Gandalf used [[Narya]] to inspire hope and courage in others.<ref>{{App|B2}}, [[Cirdan]]'s words to [[Gandalf]]</ref>

==Other versions of the legendarium==
[[File:J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring 2.jpg|thumb|The One Ring and the Three in the [[The Lord of the Rings/Original dust-jacket designs|dust-jacket]] design for ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]]]
In an early draft of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', there were many different elements related to the Rings of Power:<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 78</ref>
*Not the Elves of Eregion, but the dark master made many rings and distributed them to ensnare others. The Elves did not have three, but had many rings. There is no mentioning of the Elves discovering the intent of the Lord of the Rings and taking off their rings. Instead, it is mentioned that there were now many [[Ring-wraiths|Elf-wraiths]].
*The [[Goblins]] had some rings and their wraiths are very evil and totally under the command of the dark master.
*The elements that the Dwarves had seven rings, that they only turned them greedy and that a golden ring was the foundation of each of the seven hoards of the Dwarves were already present. However, it is not mentioned that the dwarves were hard to dominate, that their thoughts could not be read or that they could not be turned into wraiths, it is only said that their rings could not make them invisible.
*Instead of nine rings, Men had received three rings, but had found other rings in secret places that had been thrown away by Elf-wraiths. The men-wraiths were servants of the dark master and brought their rings back to him. Instead of Isildur the ring that was later found by Bilbo fell of the hand of an Elf, but the other elements that he fled from his pursuers in a war and that the ring betrayed him and fell from his hand when he swam across a river so that he became visible to Goblins that killed him are already present in this draft.
*Instead of a [[hobbit]] called [[Déagol]], a hobbit called Dígol found the ring and used its effect to turn him invisible for malicious purposes, turned to muttering to himself so that he was called ''Gollum'' and was told to go into exile by his relatives.

In an earlier draft it is mentioned that when overcome by the Ring you turn permanently invisible, everything becomes very faint for you, you can smell more clearly than you can hear or see, and you turn into a ringwraith under the command of the Lord of the Rings. It is also mentioned that you do not have the power to turn things invisible and that your clothes are visible.<ref>{{RS|Gollum}}, p. 75</ref>

==Inspiration==
The Rings were the background story as fleshed out by Tolkien, out of the Ring that appeared in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. The lore of the Rings (especially the One) is often compared to ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen|The Ring of the Nibelung]]'', although Tolkien denounced any direct inspiration.<ref>{{L|229}}, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases."</ref>

==Portrayal in adaptations==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|Ralph Bakshi's ''The Lord of the Rings'']]:'''
:In the introduction of the movie, the Rings are portrayed as a purely Elven conception and creation, which the Elves generously gave to the Dwarves and Men. It was when Sauron 'learned of the Ring-making' when he forged the One Ring.
:It contrasts the canonical account according to which the Rings were always a part of Sauron's plan, and Sauron distributed them to the Dwarves and Men after the Elves turned against him.

'''2001: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:In the [[Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All...|Prologue]], narrated by [[Galadriel]], the 19 initial Rings were shown being given to the [[Elves]], [[Men]], and [[Dwarves]]. The introduction states that all of these ring-holders were deceived by Sauron, who created the One Ring to rule them all.

'''2017: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:Alongside the One Ring and the Three, names are also given to the Seven and the Nine:

:*The Seven rings of the Dwarves are given as Taurya, Sindya, Tínya, Tulcya, Úrya, Vanya, and Angya (the [[Ring of Thrór|Ring of Durin]]).
:*The Nine rings of Men are named Sâkhla, Adâsh, Orôm (the ring of the [[Khamûl|Lieutenant of Dol Guldur]]), Jûru, Mêbat, Khânto, Sapthân, Nitîr, and Ûri (the ring of the [[Witch-king]]).

'''2022: [[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]: Season One'''
:'''Episode 9: ''[[Alloyed]]'''''
:All the lore related to the forging of the Rings of Power under the guidance of [[Annatar]] is ignored. No [[lesser rings]], nor any of the sixteen Rings is made before the Three Rings. Instead of the Three being the only ones unmarred by Sauron's intervention, they are the only ones done under [[Halbrand]]'s guidance. All the [[Magic|magical craft]] done by the [[Gwaith-i-Mírdain|Elven-smiths]] is reduced to the magical properties of [[mithril]] made up for the series.

==External links==
*[https://brownmath.com/general/ringfaq.htm FAQ of the Rings] by Stan Brown
*[https://middle-earth.xenite.org/who-were-the-rings-of-power-made-for/ Who Were the Rings of Power Made For?] by [[Michael Martinez]]

{{references}}
{{rings}}
[[Category:Rings and jewels]]
[[de:Ringe der Macht]]
[[fr:encyclo/artefacts/bijoux/anneaux/anneaux de pouvoir]]
[[fi:Mahtisormukset]]